Olga Mesmer

Exhibiting from 21^st October – 31^st October

at QUAD, Market Place, Cathedral Quarter, Derby DE1 3AS

[f]light is a four and a half minute experimental film that explores the world from the point of view of a moth. The work is constructed from a continuous sequence of photographic still images interspersed with short periods of video. While creating a visually interesting juxtaposition, the two modes of image capture, when placed together, act to highlight the change between flight and perambulation. The film begins in the darkness of a suburban garden at night, and from there the viewer is taken on a journey of macro-photographic discovery as the insect is drawn to the brightness of a light bulb in the distance. Unlike the passive observation of conventional cinema, [f]light simultaneously recasts the camera as both observer and performer, creating the illusion of it [the camera] being alive. In constant motion, the camera is traveling through the space, constantly moving, panning and shifting focus, performing as if a moth, and showing everything it sees. The predominance of close-up shots, carefully selected lenses, and the use of very controlled depth-of-field, changes viewer's perception of size and scale, creating the illusion of even the tiniest objects being very large and revealing the smallest detail or texture