The Art of the Moving Image: Light Box at SWIFF
Lismore artist Di James (second from left) is “the glue” holding together the creativity and technical wizardry of the inaugural Light Box project. Thanks to a new partnership with Festivals Australia, the Screenwave International Film Festival presents the new SWIFF Light Box project as a free and accessible outdoor exhibition for festival goers, locals, and visitors to the region beaming moving image artworks on to spaces around the Jetty precinct in Coffs Harbour 19 – 25 January.
Di, under the name 4dlux, has been VJing and creating VR worlds since the early 1990s. She’s a passionate advocate for community arts projects, social justice and environmental causes, and her recent projects include art projections for Murwillumbah Art Trail, at Byron Bay Film Festival, for the Lemon Ruski launch in Sydney and as artist in residence for the Australian Earth Laws Alliance in Brisbane. We chat to Di about what she’s up to for SWIFF Light Box.
How did you move from drawing and into multimedia art?
As soon as computers hit the scene I wanted to use them. I saw them as such a fascinating medium, I just had to get my hands on them. I started an arts degree and used to work at The Byron Shire Echo newspaper, in the art department. I landed an artist residency at Melbourne Uni and had access to their multimedia learning unit down there. It was when it was all beginning – a really exciting time.
How did you get into VJing?
There was a multimedia show on in Byron Bay with a couple of VJs putting their work up on screens and I just went ballistic, I just knew it was what I wanted to do. I’ve worked on architectural design in virtual worlds, on ActiveWorlds, one of the first online virtual reality worlds (pre-Second Life).
What does your role involve for SWIFF Light Box?
As associate creative director, I’ve been the go-to person for the artists to submit their work. We’ve now moved into the production phase, so I’m now co-ordinating with the artists to work on storyboards and compile imagery to overlay. Video projection is not about narrative in a linear sense, so it’s not like a storyboard for film where it’s a step-by-step sequence.
How do you feel about bringing Light Box to Coffs and what would you like locals and visitors to experience?
I’ve worked on architectural projections for the Murwillumbah Art Trail, on the theme of past, present and future and related directly to that location. Public art is really important to me and so is involving the community in the art. I’m not really into white gallery walls, that’s why I got into VJing. They both combine elements of bringing art off the exclusive gallery walls for people to experience in their local environment.
READ MORE on the SWIFF website
Screenwave is all about bringing new film experience s to regional NSW audiences.
