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j a m e s

g r a h a m

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Contents 4

Description

Introduction by James Putnam

The making of Iddu

Plates

View from the Bridge

Biography & Acknowledgements

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Iddu (meaning ‘Him’ in Sicilian dialect), is a 360° artwork realised on the landscape of the active volcano Stromboli. Made over a period of four years, this 15 minute film combines 360° and 180° panoramic multi-camera views originated on Super-8 film, coupled with a soundtrack generated from the collaboration between James P Graham and celebrated sound artist Akio Suzuki who performed in situ on the volcano. The end result is a 12 screen dodecahedral installation which immerses the viewer into the centre of a unique, and petrifyingly beautiful landscape.

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Introduction ‘When I visited Stromboli myself in 2002 at the beginning of the project Iddu, I was moved not only by the amazing spectacle of this ever-erupting volcano but by James P Graham’s passionate quest – that rare spark of wonderment, which, when coupled with obsession, can transform into inspiration. Some five years later after intensive planning, filming, and editing, Graham completed the definitive version of Iddu, a remarkable synthesis of film and installation art skillfully choreographed using his film crew, a local guide, a sound artist, a seismologist and an architect. The film has been conceived and is projected in 360-degree panorama using a specially designed circular projection enclosure. This is a totally immersive audiovisual experience, where the spectator becomes the centre of the work. In contrast to the singular viewing position assumed by conventional artists’ film and video works, Iddu offers an unending simultaneity of viewpoints, a panoramic sense of space with the illusion of a rolling horizon line, blurring the relationship between screen and audience. The 360-degree viewing experience has an interesting precedent in the painted panoramas of the early 1800s; these relied on illusion created through the skillful manipulation of perspective, trompe l’oeil painting and dramatic lighting. Presented in purpose-built circular rotundas, they were extremely popular for their spectacular representations of exotic locations such as the pyramids. Other genres included depictions of dramatic activity like naval battles or the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The paintings displayed were enormous and the largest panorama circle at Leicester Square was around 90ft in diameter, which could be viewed from different levels. By the late 19th century, 360-degree screens were standard exhibits at the Crystal Palace in London, and the Universal Exhibitions in Paris. They were essentially early attempts at virtual reality, where the viewer becomes part of the world of the screen, anticipating the subsequent development of the all-enveloping experience of widescreen formats such as IMAX. However illusionism is not the primary goal of Iddu, which retains an abstract narrative quality and one becomes aware of Graham’s carefully orchestrated sequence of images that unfold before our eyes. His James P Graham & the 360° camera rig

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choice of the old 8mm film format may have helped him achieve this due to what he refers to as its more ‘objective’

conjugation of elements on Stromboli, he was made aware of his own relative position, size, and relationship with

feel compared to the ‘high reality’ aesthetic of video.

the wider cosmos. Research into this metaphysical experience led him to discover the notion of ‘scientia sacra’ or

The subject matter and dynamic presentation invites comparisons with giant screen National

sacred science. Its pure meaning though difficult to grasp is eloquently described by the contemporary Iranian

Geographic style films about the forces of nature. Yet Iddu’s poetic sequence of imagery with its ‘organic’ ever-

philosopher Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr in his book Knowledge and the Sacred, “…sacred knowledge lies at the

evolving soundtrack transcends their rather predictable cinematography and melodramatic musical score. Graham

heart of every revelation which is at the centre of that circle encompassing and defining tradition…the source of

built up an extensive archive of the island’s evocative natural sounds to use in this work and captured the volcano’s

this knowledge is intellectual intuition which involves the illumination of the heart and the mind of man.” Professor

characteristic hissing, coughing and puffing. He also collaborated with the sound artist Akio Suzuki who plays his

Nasr proposes that man is able to perceive the Source of knowledge, which many would define as ‘God’. Historically,

self-made instruments, using echo to invoke nature, encapsulating an appropriately primordial atmosphere.

‘scientia sacra’ was widely understood by religious savants such as St.Thomas Aquinas, and indeed, was the binding

Graham’s creative orchestration of the extensive footage and sound recording of the volcanic activity blurs the

factor between theology and science prior to the Renaissance.

boundaries between art and documentary. Perhaps Iddu could be viewed as a contemporary successor to the art

Like Mt. Vesuvius and Mt. Fuji, Stromboli is considered by some to be a place of ‘sacred’ virtue, its volcano

historical legacy of the 18th century Naples School of topographical paintings that depict Vesuvius erupting. At that

represents a unique natural phenomenon since it displays the ultimate union and discord of the elements. The

time, Sir William Hamilton, the British Envoy to Naples and one of the earliest volcanologists, employed the

great paradox that underpins our existence is that the very forces making life possible also threaten it. Iddu serves

Neapolitan artist, Pietro Fabris, to record the volcanic activity of Vesuvius in meticulous detail. It became an

as a quintessential metaphor for the contrast between violence and peace, bearing witness to an equilibrium over

essential stop on the European Grand Tour spawning a lucrative souvenir trade in paintings and prints, notably by

which humanity has no control. This equilibrium is experienced from the centre of Graham’s installation, providing

accomplished artists such as Pierre-Jaques Volaire. These tend to focus on dramatic depictions of the volcano’s

positional awareness in the face of nature and beyond. He merges cinematography, natural science documentary

impending destructive threat with mesmerized onlookers witnessing this thrilling and awe inspiring spectacle.

and installation art to create an extraordinary sensory experience where perception itself becomes the object of

By contrast Graham’s film contains a notable lack of human presence, instead conveying the aura of an

inquiry. Graham is not interested in merely creating an illusion of natural phenomena, but intends that the

authority beyond the force of the erupting volcano, namely Iddu (meaning ‘Him’ in Sicilian dialect). Graham owes

mesmerizing experience of watching Iddu will penetrate the spirit. Challenging the passive nature of traditional

the inspiration and mission for making Iddu to a unique experience he had the second time he ascended

art-viewing, Iddu engages the observer as an active participant, enveloping them within its womb-like installation

Stromboli in 2002. On spending a night at the top beside the volcano’s craters, the sensation of natural phenomena

that can spark a profound reflection on the very nature of being.’

created a momentary experience of what he can only describe as an ‘illumination’. Triggered by the powerful

James Putnam, independant curator & writer

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The Making of Iddu

Ash explosion at 725m

Crew L to R: Bougleux, Filkins, Zaia (guide), Famularo, Graham

Initial pre-production took place over a two year period. A single screen pilot film was shot which, in

the four man film crew, accompanied by head guide Mario Zaia – the ‘custodian’ of the volcano. Fortunately the

terms of sequences, locations and edit, served as a visual blueprint for the main work. It was decided at an early

weather that October was exceptionally mild and the volcanic activity was very favourable. Graham’s diary describes

stage to work on 8mm film and 18 cameras were collected over a twelve month period, serviced and specially

in detail the filming of the last shot, “…it was on our last nocturnal visit that the volcano accorded us an

adapted in Germany and the UK. Two rigs were designed, one circular using 12 cameras capable of filming in

intimate audience. That night we managed to film a 50sec ‘double’ explosion from 150 metres away – the most

360°, and one with 6 cameras for 180° panoramas. This latter rig would give the possibility of varying focal

beautiful I have ever seen. The first part was like an exploding star – this was big enough – but when it died down

lengths, so that two of these shots could be placed opposite each other to make 360°. The filmshoot worked better

a second explosion started straight away, Iddu suddenly unfurled himself within a cloud of black ash, confronting

than expected, achieving 40 multi-camera shots over one month, half of these from the summit of the volcano,

us from underneath his huge red and black cloak, looming up and peaking in an incandescent climax before

and the rest covering the other relevant aspects of the island. 260 rolls of Super 8 film were used, all of which

burying himself back inside the white hot conduit. I swear I saw the whites of his eyes! I am not frightened by the

were logged meticulously for the complex assembly. Success was largely due to the great spirit and flexibility of

volcano any more – like the native Strombolani I actually feel protected.”

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Sound & Post Production

JPG & ring of monitors set up in his studio

Akio Suzuki performing at Grotto di Eolo

sound to create, last heard by Suzuki in 1971! For 5 days the crew waited before the right conditions enabled the The natural sound on Stromboli is highly evocative, and over 3 years Graham has built up an archive

instrument to play itself. These sounds can be heard within the film.

that he has used extensively within this work. In fact, each natural sound has been recorded at the location used

Post production took 17 months to complete between November 2004 and March 2006. All the Super

in the film. Coupled with that Graham proposed that the sound artist Akio Suzuki visit Stromboli, to explore the island

8 footage, more than 7 hours shot, was digitised and loaded into an edit system. Once all the footage had been

as inspiration for Suzuki’s own ideas. They had first met in 2002 after Suzuki had given a 360° sound performance

separated into the shot components and logged, the work had to be constructed seamlessly into its ‘multi-camera’

in the circular British Museum Reading Room. His work uses echo to encapsulate a primordial atmosphere evoking

form – each frame matching its left and right neighbour. The edit was greatly facilitated by the pilot film which was

the annals of pre-history and he was particularly interested to set up one of his home made instruments to be

used as a base for the shot sequencing, although the total surround format needed a much lengthier pace to

played solely by the wind as an Aeolian Harp. He stayed for a week in October 2005 during which time Graham

enable the viewer to fully contemplate the panoramas. The final edit used over 90% of all the multi-camera rushes

recorded him performing his instruments ‘Analapos’, and ‘Ama no Iwafue’ – on a cliff, in a cave, next to the

and some single camera shots accumulated over the course of 4 years. This was then transferred to the

craters, on the summit of the mountain. He perceives Stromboli as a sacred place. He explains, “…a sacred place

12 channel audio/video server now set up with a ring of 12 TV monitors in the studio. The last part of the post

is one where nature’s sacred mystery and consciousness is revealed, it becomes sacred only when there is an

production work was the retouching of the images. This helped the aesthetic move away from the traditional dusty,

awareness and a wisdom attuned to perceive that Sacredness.” The Aeolian Harp proved to be the most elusive

scratched, and nostalgic reputation of Super 8, to a high quality interface between old and new technology.

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Plates

Some of the audio/visual work has been specially composited showing each scene over a given time period. The position that each screen occupies within the 360 installation is shown in degrees, as well as the visual representation of the sound wave within the same timecode.

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