Installation Description:

April, 2007
Site Installation
1 Spadina Cresent, Toronto, Canada
Duration: 35min looped video

The installation takes place in a small dark room, where the flashes easily expose the surrounding environment to the peripheral vision of the viewer; thus magnify the irregular and inconsistent glow of the screen. The brief flashes reveal the pipes and tubing in the vicinity, which are directly associated and resonate those revealed in the video.

Four speakers, in addition to those built into the television, were installed from a ceiling fixture at the four corners of the room to create a subtle surround-sound experience, further enhancing the sensationalist content.

Performance Description:

April 28, 2007
Performance
(im)parting @ YYZ Artists’ Outlet & Cinecycle
Duration: 45min

After several remarks from viewers of the installation piece, regarding the urge to see the spark live, as well as the notable loose in information and detail in the video, I decided to perform Perpetual Ignition live at Cinecycle for (im)parting a performance art night with 8 other artists on April 28, 2007.

The performance took place in a narrow hallway leading to the main entrance of Cinecycle, thus preserving the installations exposure of the surrounding environment as in the original installation. The walls of Cinecycle are rich with texture and information, and when in close proximity the flashes of the lighter exposed them from underneath the vale of darkness.

Statement:

Perpetual Ignition introduces the spark and ignition of a common lighter as a spectacle. Through repetition and isolation it accents and amplifies the impact of the frequently short-lived and underappreciated lighter ignition.

The installation and performance have a mesmerizing effect through the presentation of a subtle, banal and common action. Its reference is the beauty of everyday ordinary life.