Jeff Lovett » Research

Power Equals Work Over Time: Test Exhibition

jlovett11211 — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 16:08:21 +0000

Utilizing my “archival impulse”[1] I am continually and collaboratively developing a non-hierarchical archive of the region and its network of influences. The archive serves as a point of access for the viewer and a point of departure for artistic productions that, when completed, are folded back into the archive from which they were inspired. Many of these artistic productions take the form of annotated photographic prints of scanned sites, video documentation of exploration through visual prosthetics, and augmentation of existing archival materials but the reincorporation of these into the archive inspires new combinations and paths of research. This cyclical methodology of research and production facilitates an archive that is continually re-informed and reflexive. is the presentation of a cross section of this archive.

[1] Foster, H. (2004). “An Archival Impulse”. October110, 3-22. Foster describes the archival impulse as a “notion of artistic practice as an idiosyncratic probing into particular figures, objects, and events in modern art, philosophy, and history.”

Share/Save

Big Muskie First Person

jlovett11211 — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:20:54 +0000

This is a video exploration of the monument to Big Muskie from my point of view.

Big Muskie was the Second Largest piece of land moving equipment ever made.

Here are some of the Dimensions I found on the following site: http://www.worsleyschool.net/science/files/extreme/muskie.html

Weight:
12 million kilograms (12,000 tonnes)
27 million lbs. (13,500 tons)
Bucket Capacity:
165 cubic m (220 cubic yards)
295 tonnes (325 tons)
Height: 68 m (222 ft)
Length of the boom: 95 m (310 feet)
Total length with boom: 149 m (488 ft)
Width: 46 m (152 ft)
Empty bucket weight: 209 tonnes (230 tons)
Power cable diameter: 12.7 cm (5 in)
Electrically powered: 13,800 volts

Big Muskie moved, as do most large mobile drag lines, on two huge hydraulically driven walking feet.

Big Muskie First Person POV from Jeff Lovett on Vimeo.

Share/Save

Longitude by Dava Sobel

jlovett11211 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:35:20 +0000

Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time, by Dava Sobel is a quick and enjoyable read about the political and scientific intrigue surrounding the discovery of a system to determine longitude at sea.

Share/Save

Is it really so sad and dangerous…?

jlovett11211 — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:23:09 +0000

"Is it really so sad and dangerous to be fed up with seeing with your eyes, breathing with your lungs, swallowing with your mouth, talking with your tongue, thinking with your brain…? Why not walk on your head, sing with your sinuses, see through your skin…" Deleuze & Guattari

Share/Save

Technology and Art

jlovett11211 — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:42:52 +0000

- "... the essence of technology is nothing technological" [1]
- It resides in its revealing and enframing ability.
- The fine arts embrace these same essences.
- "Could it be that Fine arts are called to poetic revealing?"[1]
- "... the more questioningly we ponder the essence of technology, they more mysterious the essence of art becomes."[1]

1-Heidigger, The Question Concerning Technology and other essays p.35

Share/Save

Mobile Platen Scanning Unit

jlovett11211 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:49:03 +0000

The Mobile Platen Scanning Unit, or MPSU for short, consists of a Canoscan LiDE 100 flatbed scanner and a Lenovo X200 Tablet PC attached back to back.

The MPSU affords the unique ability to create high resolution images on site.

The following are images from the initial testing phase of the unit:

Share/Save

A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash

jlovett11211 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:21:45 +0000

This movie is a major inspiration for my recent body of work. The impending oil crash is in many ways analogous with the coal crash in south east Ohio, specifically Shawnee.

Film Information

Downloadable resources from the film's Website

A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash @ Amazon

Streaming on Netflix

Share/Save

The Path of Time Travel

jlovett11211 — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:19:04 +0000

Share/Save

Shawnee Main Street Expedition

jlovett11211 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:33:39 +0000

The following images are an early iteration of exhibition of my time travelling body of work.

The video seen on the screen and / or in the head mounted display unit is the following:

Shawnee Main Street Expedition from Jeff Lovett on Vimeo.

The following video is objective documentation of the Shawnee Main Street Expedition:

Shawnee Main street Expedition Documentation from Jeff Lovett on Vimeo.

Share/Save

Little Cities of Black Diamonds Research Trip 01

jlovett11211 — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:54:49 +0000

I am conducting research trips in to the Little Cities of Black Diamonds (LCBD) in an attempt to collect visual and experiential data on the micro region's unique "finger print"

My first trip intentional venture into the region to gather data was motivated by the collection of photographic documentation of the cantilevered second story porches that seem to be unique to the micro-region.

This led me on a path from Athens through Nelsonville on US33 then north on OH78 through the towns of Butchel and Murray City. At Murry City I changed to OH216 north to New Straitsville, passing the Essex Mine Doser project and subsidence outlet on the way, which is always a treat. In New Straitsville, I accidentally deviated from my intended path to Shawnee by following OH93 south towards Logan. I realized my mistake and turned north on OH668 towards Junction City. This took me out of the LCBD micro region. The differences in landscape were there but subtle, the differences in architecture and town layout were dramatic. At Junction City, I turned on to OH37 east to New Lexington. New Lexington is the county seat for Perry county and a beautiful town, but still very different from the LCBD. From New Lexington I followed OH93 south to Shawnee. Shawnee is, in some ways the best preserved town from the coal mining boom of the late 19th and early 20th century and an excellent example of the nuances of the LCBD micro region. From Shawnee I drove OH155 through the small towns of Hemlock and Drake, both of which were very interesting and deserve further exploration when time permits, to the city of Corning. From Corning I followed the more familiar route OH13 south to Athens through the towns of Burr Oaks, Glouster, Trimble, Jacksonville and Cauncey.

View Larger Map

Share/Save