Nude woman walking and throwing handkerchief over shoulders, 2007/2009

The two light objects (woman and sloth) each consist of a black and white copy of a motion study by Eadweard Muybridge from 1887, taken from the 3-part illustrated book "Muybridge's Complete human and animal locomotion".

Originally, these motion studies were made for purely scientific purposes, allowing them to be viewed in a relatively unemotional manner, similar to a readymade. The only changes made to the black and white copies are that the background of the illustrations has been painted over monochrome along the contours of the figures with cadmium red or light blue oil paint and the applied paint can consequently be used as a stencil. As soon as the copy is illuminated from the back, the painted background remains dark and only the figure is brightly illuminated.

The painted black and white copies were stretched on a wooden frame, similar to a canvas on a stretcher. Inside the frame is a grid with LEDs and a programmed control so that each figure can be illuminated in turn and at a specific time interval. The fact that the figures light up means that they can also be viewed as moving light sculptures. However, it requires particular concentration to be able to follow the movement of the figures; in contrast to the usual 24 or 25 frames per second, the inertia of the human eye is not used to simulate movement.

Many thanks to Helmut Rainer and Helmut Habel for their helpful advice.

Nude woman walking and throwing handkerchief over shoulders, 2009
31,5 x 23,9 x 3,5 cm,
b/w copy, oil paint, cardboard, MDF board, electronics with LEDs, power supply unit

Nude woman walking and throwing handkerchief over shoulders, 2007
31,5 x 23,9 x 3,5 cm,
b/w copy, oil paint,
cardboard, MDF board, electronics with LEDs, battery operated