At University I specialised in Video/ Sound Art. Through my practise I simulate my experience with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD is a behavioural disorder that effects a person’s concentration, attention and organisation. Through video, sound art, I translate symptoms of the condition and provoke certain feelings in the viewers to illustrate the overstimulating and demanding nature of the condition. The symptoms that guided my practice (including distraction, disorganisation, distorted sense of time, unpredictable focus, scattered thoughts and hyper-focus) were collected from ADD: A Different Perception, (Hartmann, 1997), my own experience and others with ADHD.
Through my practice I journey through myriad ways of recreating these symptoms; chiefly through video and panoramic sound, inspired by Janet Cardiff. These media allow me to manipulate the viewer’s state, guided by the ‘affect theory’ (Gregg, 2010). Increasing the amount of stimuli creates overload, illustrating a common state of ADHD. Using the traditional medium of video, I record footage and manipulate the content, obstructing and re-contextualising my surroundings, creating complex visual comprehension, translating my personal reality.
I create tension using video and sound as they compete for the viewer’s attention. I explore these media in many dimensions; using technology to distort and manipulate my recordings; from capturing and editing techniques, to methods of presentation.
I explore dynamic ways of presenting these symptoms using repetition, speed, and varying clip length as tools in manipulating the viewers state, observing the effects these devices have on focus, attention and curiosity
ADHD.
Repetition and distraction are defining characteristics of my ADHD so I wanted to recreate this by sampling soundbites I recorded throughout my day to day life to the rhythm of the video.
This piece is a simulation of overstimulation. With each new video I introduce a new sound recording. By layering the visuals and varying the clips opacity I create a complex web of videos fighting for the viewers attention creating a graduate sense of sensory overload- mimicking this feature of ADHD.
Distraction.
Distorted sense of time.
Hyper-focus.
This video explored the ‘hyper-focus’ side of ADHD. It is a common misconception that people with ADHD cant focus. Although this can be true is some scenarios, hyper-focus is also a symptom. Once fixated on a subject it can be all consuming and impossible to stop the task. This video explored this by studying a mundane object in such detail, from every possible angle and exposure. Each new perspective is unique and beautiful in its own way.