Polar Night Study: Artist Residency
A$7,650
of $3,000 targetyrs ago
Successful on 26th Oct 2014 at 1:00AM.
This Pozible campaign has been launched in light of an amazing opportunity to work with the Finnish Bioart Society this coming (Northern) winter. I am honoured to announce my acceptance into the Ars Bioarctica residency programme to conduct 'A Polar Night Study', a unique artistic exploration into the depths of the Arctic winter.
Northern Lights Photo courtesy of Rhys Jones www.dusk.is/
The concept for 'A Polar Night Study' was developed in response to my dichotomous role as both Artist and Sleep Scientist and will focus on the relationship between light exposure/deprivation and 'body-clock' timing during the Arctic Circle's polar-night.
The end of November marks the Arctic Circle's shift into the polar-night where the sun will not rise above the horizon for almost 8 weeks. Chronic sunlight deprivation is known to effect the regulation of a healthy body-clock, though appropriately timed exposure to specialised artificial light can manipulate one's sleep/wake cycle to correct for temporal misalignments.
Winter solstice diagram provided by asrtocal.co.uk
My project will artistically explore this phenomena, and the boundaries of body-clock timing in dark environments , with a focus on the role of light exposure and deprivation during the Arctic Circle's polar-night.
From late November I will be based for one month in the Arctic Circle at the Kilpisjarvi Biological Station to artistically record my experiences and observations of life and environment without sunlight.
Northern Lights Photo courtesy of Rhys Jones www.dusk.is/
The concept for 'A Polar Night Study' was developed in response to my dichotomous role as both Artist and Sleep Scientist and will focus on the relationship between light exposure/deprivation and 'body-clock' timing during the Arctic Circle's polar-night.
The end of November marks the Arctic Circle's shift into the polar-night where the sun will not rise above the horizon for almost 8 weeks. Chronic sunlight deprivation is known to effect the regulation of a healthy body-clock, though appropriately timed exposure to specialised artificial light can manipulate one's sleep/wake cycle to correct for temporal misalignments.
Winter solstice diagram provided by asrtocal.co.uk
My project will artistically explore this phenomena, and the boundaries of body-clock timing in dark environments , with a focus on the role of light exposure and deprivation during the Arctic Circle's polar-night.
From late November I will be based for one month in the Arctic Circle at the Kilpisjarvi Biological Station to artistically record my experiences and observations of life and environment without sunlight.
What will I do for a month in the Arctic?
'A Polar Night Study' is an artistic and scientific project inspired by the rich history of Sleep Scientists who have experimented with their own bodies to explore the timing of the body-clock without sunlight.
In a performative revisitation of these experiments I will embrace the seemingly eternal darkness of the Arctic winter as a clean-slate against which to tinker with the machinery of my body's internal clocks.
Sleep Scientists Nathaniel Kleitman and Bruce Richardson in their 32 day Mammoth Cave circadian rhythm experiment 1938
Using my training as a sleep-scientist I will design and partake in a prosthetic-styled programme over the course of the month to extend my circadian rhythm from a normal 24 hour cycle to new 28 hour cycle. This extension will be based around a sleep/wake routine of 9hours 20minutes/18hours 40 minutes (sleep/wake respectively).
Utilising an array of monitoring equipment and research-grade assessments I will record and document my body's physiological and psychological responses to this body-clock resetting.
Throughout the project I will also embark on daily out-door expeditions into Kilpisjarvi's wilderness, forests and mountains, documenting my discoveries of how the chronic dark impacts life and perceptions of time along the way . Through drawing, writing, painting and photography I will harness my new 'out-of-step' sleep/wake routine as device with which to explore and record Kilpisjarvi's unique wilderness and life-forms from multiple perspectives in time.
In a performative revisitation of these experiments I will embrace the seemingly eternal darkness of the Arctic winter as a clean-slate against which to tinker with the machinery of my body's internal clocks.
Sleep Scientists Nathaniel Kleitman and Bruce Richardson in their 32 day Mammoth Cave circadian rhythm experiment 1938
Using my training as a sleep-scientist I will design and partake in a prosthetic-styled programme over the course of the month to extend my circadian rhythm from a normal 24 hour cycle to new 28 hour cycle. This extension will be based around a sleep/wake routine of 9hours 20minutes/18hours 40 minutes (sleep/wake respectively).
Utilising an array of monitoring equipment and research-grade assessments I will record and document my body's physiological and psychological responses to this body-clock resetting.
Throughout the project I will also embark on daily out-door expeditions into Kilpisjarvi's wilderness, forests and mountains, documenting my discoveries of how the chronic dark impacts life and perceptions of time along the way . Through drawing, writing, painting and photography I will harness my new 'out-of-step' sleep/wake routine as device with which to explore and record Kilpisjarvi's unique wilderness and life-forms from multiple perspectives in time.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Rhys Jones, Norwegian based (Kiwi) designer and photographer for letting me use his beautiful snaps of the Northern Lights and Svalbard cabin.
Thanks also to Astrocal.co.uk for allowing me to use their winter solstice diagram for this campaign.
Thank you to the Finnish Bioart Society for the invitation to conduct 'A Polar Night Study' as part of the Ars Bioarctica 2014 residency programme.
Travel costs for 'A Polar Night Study' have been kindly supported by an Artflight Grant from the Government of Western Australia Department of Culture and the Arts.
Thanks also to Astrocal.co.uk for allowing me to use their winter solstice diagram for this campaign.
Thank you to the Finnish Bioart Society for the invitation to conduct 'A Polar Night Study' as part of the Ars Bioarctica 2014 residency programme.
Travel costs for 'A Polar Night Study' have been kindly supported by an Artflight Grant from the Government of Western Australia Department of Culture and the Arts.
Post-target plans: Project Catalogue
I am thrilled to announce that thank you to my amazing group of supporters this campaign reached it's target amount less than 12 hours after it's launch!
All pledges from here-on-in will go towards the production of a beautiful and comprehensive catalogue for the project, designed by Rhys Jones and featuring writing by Perth based Arts Writer Sheridan Coleman.
Additional writers for the project will be updated here soon.
Catalogue size, print run numbers and inclusion of additional pieces of writing will be determined by available funds at the close of this campaign. An updated funding break-down for the project can be found in the 'How Will The Funds Be Used' section below.
All pledges from here-on-in will go towards the production of a beautiful and comprehensive catalogue for the project, designed by Rhys Jones and featuring writing by Perth based Arts Writer Sheridan Coleman.
Additional writers for the project will be updated here soon.
Catalogue size, print run numbers and inclusion of additional pieces of writing will be determined by available funds at the close of this campaign. An updated funding break-down for the project can be found in the 'How Will The Funds Be Used' section below.
Why your support is important
This residency will provide me with the opportunity to research and explore subjects which are fundamental to my artistic practice, at a depth and level of detail unparalleled by any other opportunity available to me.
Your support will help me to conduct the highest quality research that I possibly can AND produce a collection of new artworks as a result of my residency.
Your support will help me to conduct the highest quality research that I possibly can AND produce a collection of new artworks as a result of my residency.
How The Funds Will Be Used
A summary of costs ...
*Purchase of research and production gear $3170 ACHIEVED!
*Postage of rewards $ 875 ACHIEVED!
*Catalogue designer/photographer and writers fees $3800
*Catalogue printing (100 copies max) $1800
PROJECT TOTAL $9645 AUD
Your support will go towards the purchase of:
Equipment purchase
...to conduct the highest quality research possible.
Your support will contribute to the purchase of equipment such as: actigraph-based sleep and movement monitors, bright-light therapy lamp, hand-held GPS equipment for mapping my Arctic expeditions, up to date Arctic maps and software licensing to access raw data from devices.
ESTIMATED COST $1320AUD
Art Materials
...to produce at least one comprehensive body of new artwork as a result of my residency.
Your support will contribute to the purchase and delivery cost of art materials such as sketch books, note books, pencils, paints, watercolour paper, pastels and drawing paper.
ESTIMATED COST $550AUD
Survival gear
...to stay alive, warm and dry while documenting the Arctic environment.
Your support will contribute to the purchase of Arctic quality clothing such as a feather down jacket, woollen socks, woollen beanie, snow pants and thermal layers
ESTIMATED COST $700AUD
Accommodation
...to have somewhere out of the cold to eat and sleep while working on the 'studio' components of my project.
Your support will contribute to covering the cost of board at the Kilpisjarvi Biological station for one month.
ESTIMATED COST $600AUD
Catalogue production
...to pay artist fees for the design, photgraphy and writing needed to produce a beautiful and comprehensive book about the Polar Night project.
ESTIMATED COST $3800
Catalogue printing
...to turn the project's catalogue into a physical object which can be shared with the outside world, beginning with a run of upto 100 copies.
ESTIMATED COST $1800
*Purchase of research and production gear $3170 ACHIEVED!
*Postage of rewards $ 875 ACHIEVED!
*Catalogue designer/photographer and writers fees $3800
*Catalogue printing (100 copies max) $1800
PROJECT TOTAL $9645 AUD
Your support will go towards the purchase of:
Equipment purchase
...to conduct the highest quality research possible.
Your support will contribute to the purchase of equipment such as: actigraph-based sleep and movement monitors, bright-light therapy lamp, hand-held GPS equipment for mapping my Arctic expeditions, up to date Arctic maps and software licensing to access raw data from devices.
ESTIMATED COST $1320AUD
Art Materials
...to produce at least one comprehensive body of new artwork as a result of my residency.
Your support will contribute to the purchase and delivery cost of art materials such as sketch books, note books, pencils, paints, watercolour paper, pastels and drawing paper.
ESTIMATED COST $550AUD
Survival gear
...to stay alive, warm and dry while documenting the Arctic environment.
Your support will contribute to the purchase of Arctic quality clothing such as a feather down jacket, woollen socks, woollen beanie, snow pants and thermal layers
ESTIMATED COST $700AUD
Accommodation
...to have somewhere out of the cold to eat and sleep while working on the 'studio' components of my project.
Your support will contribute to covering the cost of board at the Kilpisjarvi Biological station for one month.
ESTIMATED COST $600AUD
Catalogue production
...to pay artist fees for the design, photgraphy and writing needed to produce a beautiful and comprehensive book about the Polar Night project.
ESTIMATED COST $3800
Catalogue printing
...to turn the project's catalogue into a physical object which can be shared with the outside world, beginning with a run of upto 100 copies.
ESTIMATED COST $1800
Personal shout out !!!
Pledgers of $5+ will recieve a personal shout-out on Face Book and Twitter to say a massive thanks for their support.
0 chosen
Est. delivery is Dec 14
Postcard from the Arctic
Pledgers of $25+ will recieve a personalised postcard designed by me during my residency AND a shout-out on Facebook and Twitter to say a massive thanks for thier support. Each card will reveal a unique secret from the depths of the polar-night...
11 chosen / 14 available
Est. delivery is Dec 14
A small signed drawing +
Pledgers of $50+ will become owners of a small drawing* valued at $150AUD, created and signed by artist Shannon Williamson AND have the option to be listed a 'Silver Supporter' on all of the project's promotional material AND get a personalised "thank you" shout-out on Facebook and Twitter. *Maximum drawing size: 160 x 220mm Silver Supporters will be able to select their preference from a collection of works. Selection priority will be allocated by pledge amount.
14 chosen / 26 available
Est. delivery is Feb 15
A small- medium painting+
Pledgers of $200+ will become owners of a small or medium painting* valued at between $300 and $650AUD created and signed by artist Shannon Williamson AND have the option to be listed a 'Gold Supporter' on all of the project's promotional material AND get a personalised shout-out on Facebook and Twitter. *Maximum size: 420 x 300mm Gold Supporters will be able to select their preference from a collection of works. Selection priority will be allocated by pledge amount. (image is example only)
9 chosen / 1 available
Est. delivery is May 15
A medium sized drawing+
Pledgers of $100+ will become owners of a medium sized drawing* valued at between $200 and $400AUD, created and signed by artist Shannon Williamson AND have the option to be listed a 'Palladium Supporter' on all of the project's promotional material AND get a personalised "thank you" shout-out on Facebook and Twitter. *Maximum size: 320 x 420 mm Palladium Supporters will be able to select their preference from a collection of works. Selection priority will be allocated by pledge amount.
10 chosen / 0 available
Est. delivery is Feb 15
A medium sized painting+
Pledgers of $450+ will become owners of a medium sized painting* valued between $650 and $1000AUD, created and signed by artist Shannon Williamson AND have the option to be listed a 'Platinum Supporter' on all of the project's promotional material AND get a personalised shout-out on Facebook and Twitter. *Maximum size: 750 x 550mm Platinum Supporters will select their preference from a collection of works. Selection priority will be allocated by pledge amount. (image is example only)
4 chosen / 0 available
Est. delivery is May 15