Use Sculptural Method to Make Video (Chinese Version below)******************************* Phoebe Man, 2007

I apply sculptural method to make video. That is to treat images as raw material and use “+ - x /” mathematical concepts to transform the images. For examples, in my 1st video Rati, I questioned if woman is equal to vagina. I made a walking vagina (woman reduced (minus) to vagina) to be the main character. In the beginning of the video, walking vagina is a contrast to a man who just showed his penis in the chat room. Then I used “+ - x /” method to create different situation. For example, in the real life, what a woman will do? In what situation, a woman’s vagina will appear? Then I made the walking vagina did all these things to create an absurd feeling, so as to question the presentation of women on the Internet. Although the video have some plots, it is not linear and I did not use the traditional “conflict, suspense, development, resolution” method to tell the story. Although the video looks strange, it can create an absurd feeling and invite audience to ask questions.

I do not draw storyboard to make my video. I use different methods to transform the images and choose the visually appealing plots. Inside a Bed and Washing the Light series are made this way. Inside a Bed played with a piece of sheet, legs and a camera.Washing the Light transformed light, water and reflection of glass . Drawing story board makes the work more rational. The subconscious feeling might be erased. The process of making video is a process of self exploration and a process of discovery. Therefore I do not draw storyboard. I edit the video to refine the work and keep some of the experimental elements and unspeakable feeling, like the movement of a hand in Washing the Light and the strange mirror images in Inside a Bed.

You might say it is like structural film or non-linear narrative. Yes, it is but it is something more, as I will also play with the physical material like water and light.

I make video for my installation, like Washing the Light. I made an image of a surreal hole on the ceiling of the installation in Gwangju Biennial 2002. Rewind Autumn Moon is a double lonely piece. The main character was talking to the character in the film. To add the lonely feeling of the environment, I stuck a slim mirror on the big reflected image and the mirror reflected a tiny image on the wall of the exhibition space. 

Video can add image layers and lively feeling to my installation. Sculptural method can help me to develop the visual language of my video.

用雕塑裝置方法來作錄像 *************************************************文晶瑩, 2007

我本身是做雕塑和裝置的，製作錄像時都遁有關方法去做，就是用加減乘除法將物料(影像)轉化。例如，我第一個錄像「慧慧」，質疑女性是否等於陰道，製作了一個陰道人作主角(減法)。錄像開始時是在網上聊天室和只暴露陽具的男生作一比對，然後組合各種情景(加乘除法)，例如一個人平常會做甚麼、一個女人平常會做甚麼、陰道又會在那些情況出現，然後將這些東西全由陰道人來做，來塑造荒謬感，以達質疑的目的。雖然錄像有一些情節，但不是由起承轉合的故事演進方式來推進劇情，所以看來有些怪怪的，當然也就沒有結論或故事教訓之類的答案提供，但這就是我要的效果，怪怪的，但又有吸引人的地方，會問問題的。

我做錄像，從來都不畫storyboard的，用轉化影像的方法，先做同一影像的多種實驗，再挑較有趣的。「床內戲」和「洗光」都是這樣子完成的，「床內戲」玩的是被鋪和腳，「洗光」轉化的是光、水和玻璃。畫Storyboard 的方法比較理性，一些個人較隱藏的情感，很易被抹掉。我喜歡以製作錄像來探索自我，喜歡在製作的過程中有更多發現，所以很少畫storyboard，只用後期的剪接來作簡單的雕鑿，保留一些原始的實驗和難以名狀的情感，例如「洗光」內手的移動和「床內戲」裡影像奇怪的組合。

有時做錄像是為了配合裝置，好像「洗光」最初是為了配合光州雙年展內的裝置，那時我要了一件建築的天花板位置，想在那裡弄一個洞的影像，製造超現實的效果。「回捲秋月」則是一件雙重孤獨的作品，在投射的影像上貼幼鏡子，讓幼絲般的影像反射到空洞的展場空間內，來加強孤獨的感覺。

錄像在我的裝置內往往能加強空間的層次感和活的原素，裝置雕塑的方法用在錄像製作上，則為我提供了建立個人語言的出路。

詳細介紹請看（以遊戲玩樂的生活實驗翻轉符碼──專訪香港錄像藝術家文晶瑩）, 吳俊輝訪問, 《台灣以左，亞洲之右—實驗電影的亞洲實踐與研究》，恆河出版社，2015年12月。)