Events

Jim Riley - BROKEN

April 7 to April 28, 2007

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Artist Statement by Jim Riley

This exhibition explores the neuromuscular consequences of a head injury. One challenge has been to develop a visual representation of what is basically a body sensation. The three “video paintings”* deconstruct muscular movement by employing the concept of time to explore the perception of movement. The video wall projection, “Breaking” is the only component with sound and metaphorically illustrated the fragility and yet regenerative nature of the nervous system.

Initially, as a result of the injury, I temporarily lost my ability to walk. This was followed by a variety of body sensations that were not evident to the onlooker. The outward appearance of my movements seemed normal, but inwardly I might have been experiencing a range of vertigo sensation of swaying, stumbling or falling.

During the first few months after the accident, I experienced sensations similar to walking through mud up to my waist. “Step on a Crack and Break” portrays this by creating movement without the appearance of movement. The movement has been slowed down ten thousand times the normal movement. “Vertigo Walking in Tall Grass” shows attempting to walk when the messages are not being transmitted correctly from the brain to the legs. It also translates my vertigo body sensations to a visual form. “Broken Runner” uses directional movement, time and multi layered imagery. When I regained the ability to run, I thought I had healed.

* Video painting is a term to describe combining video images with painting by placing a flat screen LCD inside a painting. The shape of the video image is altered to merge more completely with the painted surface.

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