Attention to distraction: a visual investigation of temporal experience through time-based media

Attention to distraction: a visual investigation of temporal
experience through time-based media
By Raef Sawford
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Tasmanian School of Art, University of Tasmania
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours), Tasmanian School of Art, University of Tasmania
Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
University of Tasmania, April 2013

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"These works challenge viewing habits and expectation through strategies of duration, re-contextualisation and re-examining" pg 4

"to offer a contemporary experience
of the here-and-now, the work must fluctuate between states of immersion and
awareness; between attention and distraction. Here, the inherent tension activated
by the intersection of these temporal states directs audience attention toward the
potential of a moment." pg 5

"For a narrative film to work – meaning that the audience becomes involved in
the story by identifying with the characters and following the action through
to its logical conclusion – time has to be compressed so that the action can flow
in a logical sequence. This creates a sense within the viewer of being present in the
diegetic world of the film – unaware of their lived experience. If the viewer were to
become aware of the discontinuity of the production process i.e. the temporal and
spatial distance between shots, then the narrative illusion would be broken" pg 26

"Of course time and space are intrinsically linked, so the strategies devised to foreground temporal awareness, such as duration and repetition also incorporated a spatial element." pg 27