Assignment 8: Julia Nishizaki

For this assignment, I decided to submerge different textured textiles in a sink filled with water, and to film how the fabric interacted with each other in that environment. I chose to incorporate water into this assignment, because I was interested in seeing how fabrics with different weights or densities would absorb water and sink, or remain more buoyant and float through the space. Because we’re not usually underwater along with the fabric, I decided to film from that perspective, by placing my phone in a plastic bag before submerging it. 

I was really surprised by how the constraints of the sink itself affected the video. For example, it was difficult to get the camera to focus on elements that were only a couple of inches away, and the physical size of the sink limited the amount of fabric that could fit, and how much room it had to move around. However, because it was a small space, you could see the surface above, which served as a mirror, reflecting the submerged fabrics below. In addition, turning on the faucet or unplugging the sink allowed me to add movement into the environment in a more organic way. Thus, the textiles almost seemed like strange underwater plants, or abstract organisms that were just floating by.