Monoprocession

Monoprocession seeks to describe a nature of continuous movement and transformation in time. Even when reversed and altered, Monoprocession proceeds in animated monochrome toward the same end, creating and recreating a resilient process of perpetual growth, beginning again, in cycles of renewal.

The video was created with a series of still photos of ink drawings on mylar that were manipulated via digital montage and animation and inspired by the processes developed by South African Artist William Kentridge. The scenes portrayed in the drawings reflect the construction and deconstruction of the natural environment, and the palimpsest of ephemeral building blocks and structures we work with as architects. In that sense, the ever-changing scenes attempt to convey the same conclusion, while repetition produces different images. The scenes are played forward and backward, displaying a sense of reciprocal growth and movement in time, balanced by the destruction and decay that occurs from different agencies. Along with the repetition of the theme, the drawings are performed in ways that, when played back via stop motion animation, appear to replicate movements required to create such living images. Movement itself is then cut up into smaller calligraphies, choreographing the gesture and motion of making a full brushstroke. Musical accompaniment with percussion instruments and violin participates in the process, mirroring and motivating what the images display. The monotone, droning sounds change slightly after each scene, bringing renewed focus on the monochrome repetitions and cycles of renewal beginning to form in the listener as they lose themselves in the film.

Ideally, the film is played on a loop so that the endings and beginnings are blurred with the theme of repetition.

All imagery and musical accompaniment created and performed by Sean Vandekerkhove.

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Bio of artist:

Sean Vandekerkhove is currently working on his Master of Architecture degree at the University of Manitoba, where he completed his Bachelor of Environmental Design in 2020. Architecture school is filled with the push to be creative, form new ideas and go beyond boundaries. Early in architecture school, Sean began exploring the method of drawing with the specific media of ink and mylar, as shown in the film. This method morphed into creating impermanent drawings, where the ink could be reconstituted after it was dried and scraped away to create a new drawing. Other significant influences in the creation of this film include childhood fascinations with stop-motion animation (capturing clay models with a camera), and a musical background in piano, drums and violin.

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