Thomas, Christopher, 2015

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Scope and content:

Thomas's abstract: A Fixed Facsimile is an experimental documentary film examining the extent that physically and digitally archived works of text can be captured and presented in the form of moving images using simple machines without electricity to mimic the conditions under which the content was first created. Both the physical artifact and the digitally archived version of The Mathematical and Philosophical Works of the Right Reverend John Wilkins, originally published in 1708, were photographed on a Bolex 16mm camera with a disengaged motor. Documentation of the actual book is paired with images of its digital interface to create a feedback loop in the genealogy of new media and forms of communication, as older ones like the book itself are literally falling apart.

The fluttering exposures were achieved by cranking the film through the camera’s gate by hand at a rate of 1/4 to 1/8 of a second. The film was then processed and allowed to dry with the fixer still on the film, creating crystallized textures upon the images.

Incorporates images from the book: The mathematical and philosophical works of the Right Reverend John Wilkins by John Wilkins

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