ROGER BROWN - 2020 | |
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| This series of volumetric images, that compose the video itself, were created the day before the COVID19 lockdown measures were imposed at my workplace and in the state of Florida. We knew that something bad was happening in the world, we knew that drastic measures had to be taken, and we could feel a sense of despair in the atmosphere. Trying to capture this feeling of malaise, that prophetically reflected the isolation, fear and the specter of death that dominated 2020, I worked with Roger Brown, a unique character in Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors. This artist, musician, performer, model, waiter, and bartender, is one of the friendliest persons you can ever meet in town. He is very proud of his gorgeous tattoos and piercings, that are nothing but a reflection of his personality. The resulting volumetric portraits isolate spatially the model, and create a baroque-like atmosphere, in empty digital environments that enhance the feeling of despair caused by the coronavirus. All images are captured in real time with the Kinect sensor, using custom Java code in Processing 3.0, written by the artist. Photoshop is used for color correction and sizing purposes, without any additional filters. The music is composed by Patty E. Patétik. | |
Artist/Research Statement
I grew up in Bogotá, Colombia, a city where the mafia was blowing up buildings, and murdering people with drugs and bombs; AIDS was killing my friends, and death squads were threatening my life for being openly gay. Instead of seeking cover, I became a very visible New Media queer artist promoting change in my surroundings through video art, documentaries, performances and artivism.
I moved to New York in 1995 to get my Master's degree in Interactive Telecommunications just as the Internet was beginning to expand, and I immediately used the Web as a creative tool where all my art practice would come together, with a global perspective. The Internet has become the perfect tool to explore my passion for non-linear filmmaking, digital poetry, cyber-activism, creative code, photography, animation and interactive narration. I am using HTML5 / Javascript / CSS3, Processing and video tools to produce my works, continuously exploring new open source software and hardware.
With some emotional links still left in Colombia and now living permanently in the United States, my work has evolved into a study of how we perceive and recreate ourselves in a digital environment, inseparable from a political context. Aesthetically, I am interested in the dialog between low and high resolution imaging, exploding the pixel grid to push the possibilities of volumetric images, both as still portraits, and in motion.
Inspired by Christopher Isherwood's books, I use digital tools and interactive media to capture and save the memories of spaces, looks and attitudes of 2SLGBTQ+ communities around the world.
I grew up in Bogotá, Colombia, a city where the mafia was blowing up buildings, and murdering people with drugs and bombs; AIDS was killing my friends, and death squads were threatening my life for being openly gay. Instead of seeking cover, I became a very visible New Media queer artist promoting change in my surroundings through video art, documentaries, performances and artivism.
I moved to New York in 1995 to get my Master's degree in Interactive Telecommunications just as the Internet was beginning to expand, and I immediately used the Web as a creative tool where all my art practice would come together, with a global perspective. The Internet has become the perfect tool to explore my passion for non-linear filmmaking, digital poetry, cyber-activism, creative code, photography, animation and interactive narration. I am using HTML5 / Javascript / CSS3, Processing and video tools to produce my works, continuously exploring new open source software and hardware.
With some emotional links still left in Colombia and now living permanently in the United States, my work has evolved into a study of how we perceive and recreate ourselves in a digital environment, inseparable from a political context. Aesthetically, I am interested in the dialog between low and high resolution imaging, exploding the pixel grid to push the possibilities of volumetric images, both as still portraits, and in motion.
Inspired by Christopher Isherwood's books, I use digital tools and interactive media to capture and save the memories of spaces, looks and attitudes of 2SLGBTQ+ communities around the world.
Bio
Santiago Echeverry is a Colombian-American New Media Artist and Educator, with a background in Video Art, Performance Art, Interactive Media, and Artivism. Participating since 1989 in some of the most important film and media festivals in the world, Echeverry is considered a pioneer in Net Art and LGBTQ+ Filmmaking in Latin America. In 1992, he graduated top of the inaugural class of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia's Film and Television School. In 1995, he was awarded the prestigious Fulbright Grant to earn his Master's degree in Interactive Telecommunications at NYU. He started teaching at the University of Tampa in 2005, got tenured in 2009, and promoted to full Professor in 2022 as a founding member of the Film, Animation and New Media Department. His research is focused on front-end development, UI/UX, experimental imaging, and creative coding. All his projects are available online at www.santi.tv
Santiago Echeverry es un educador y artista de nuevos medios colombo-americano, egresado de la primera promoción de la Carrera de Cine y Televisión de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Desde muy temprano se dedicó a la exploración de las posibilidades creativas del video, la performancia y las tecnologías digitales, exhibiendo sus obras internacionalmente desde 1989. En 1995 obtuvo la beca Fulbright y recibió su Maestría en Telecomunicaciones Interactivas en NYU. Reside en los EEUU desde el 2003, concentrándose principalmente en el desarrollo de videos e imágenes digitales interactivas, participando en festivales internacionales tales como Siggraph, Siggraph Asia, FILE y el Japan Media Arts Festival, entre otros. Actualmente es Profesor de Nuevos Medios en la Universidad de Tampa, en la Florida. Toda su obra se encuentra en su sitio web www.santi.tv
Santiago Echeverry is a Colombian-American New Media Artist and Educator, with a background in Video Art, Performance Art, Interactive Media, and Artivism. Participating since 1989 in some of the most important film and media festivals in the world, Echeverry is considered a pioneer in Net Art and LGBTQ+ Filmmaking in Latin America. In 1992, he graduated top of the inaugural class of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia's Film and Television School. In 1995, he was awarded the prestigious Fulbright Grant to earn his Master's degree in Interactive Telecommunications at NYU. He started teaching at the University of Tampa in 2005, got tenured in 2009, and promoted to full Professor in 2022 as a founding member of the Film, Animation and New Media Department. His research is focused on front-end development, UI/UX, experimental imaging, and creative coding. All his projects are available online at www.santi.tv
Santiago Echeverry es un educador y artista de nuevos medios colombo-americano, egresado de la primera promoción de la Carrera de Cine y Televisión de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Desde muy temprano se dedicó a la exploración de las posibilidades creativas del video, la performancia y las tecnologías digitales, exhibiendo sus obras internacionalmente desde 1989. En 1995 obtuvo la beca Fulbright y recibió su Maestría en Telecomunicaciones Interactivas en NYU. Reside en los EEUU desde el 2003, concentrándose principalmente en el desarrollo de videos e imágenes digitales interactivas, participando en festivales internacionales tales como Siggraph, Siggraph Asia, FILE y el Japan Media Arts Festival, entre otros. Actualmente es Profesor de Nuevos Medios en la Universidad de Tampa, en la Florida. Toda su obra se encuentra en su sitio web www.santi.tv