Since moving to the small Saskatchewan town of Woodrow I have found myself engaging
in various activities with members of the community. A large part of this community consists of my
grandparent’s generation. Many of these people are retired and are quite dedicated to these activities.
For many of them, staying active through activities such as bowling is key to a happy lifestyle.
Through my participation I feel as though I have become part of the community. It seems to be my
main connection. As I continue to engage myself in these activities, it becomes more a part of my life.
The “Games Room” is evidence of this. Currently all of my work is based on the “small town” theme.
The influence that my interaction with the community has given the theme a new element. Most of my
ideas and influences prior to this came from stories and memories. “The Games Room” is a reaction
to my personal discovery of the present tense with in the small town community I am currently calling
home. Through stop-motion animation and animatronics I have created a fictional environment based
on this discovery. Bowling, horseshoes, and ping-pong are all fairly repetitive and simplistic games.
Activities people of all ages, shapes and sizes can enjoy. My intention for this project was to create
a never ending sense of physical activity and enjoyment through these animated activities. The
surrealistic nature of the animations and sculpture comes from an intention to place the environment
in it’s own little world. The quirkiness of the characters and their gestured activity is what unifies them.
The miniature scale also unifies them. Although the animated figures are projected larger than the
sculptural figures, the physical qualities are the same. It is my intention to let viewers become familiar
with the physicality of the characters in actual space and then witness them on screen enlarged and
animated in a fictional space. Through the magic of video technology the characters are placed one step
closer to resembling the people they are based on. Viewers are placed in this environment as observers.
Unlike an audience of competitive sport, the viewers are observing the characters engaged in enjoyable
activity. The motion activated “Electric Ping-Pong” piece is the best example of this. There is no score
to keep track of. As long as the players are engaged in activity they are part of the community of active
characters and the present moment. Of course this means that the viewer most be moving to activate this
electronic activity.
The characters in “The Games Room” are all intended to represent my grandparent’s generation.
For many of the people I have met from this generation, animation, animatronics and contemporary art are
unfamiliar territory. Much like joining a bowling league in a small town community was for me. In a sense
“The Games Room” is a collaboration of lifestyles. The fictional characters are familiar with the activities
they are engaged in, but are unfamiliar with the gallery environment in which they are placed. Through
repetitive activity with another person they are able to maintain a level of comfort. Personally I have
discovered the importance of being part of a weekly activity. Unlike my experiences in large centers,
these activities are my only form of social engagement. They keep me in a social comfort zone.