Am Saiyavath Art and Biology Proposal For Artist Book

Simulating SEM experience through a flipbook

Concept: I want to replicate the process of obtaining a perfectly focused image under

the scanning electron microscope. I find that the experience of seeing a totally blurred

and meaningless image transitioning into such a detailed and revealing image to be one

of the most fascinating moment in the entire process of using SEM, even though it only

lasted for a couple of seconds. I find that after the SEM session, I can clearly recall those

moments like a playing short movie in my head. Starting from blurry patches of light and

dark, interesting elements started to appears as the focusing knob is turned. Lines,

shapes, patterns and structures come together to form extraordinary images unique to

the specimen. Turning the focusing knob a bit further and you lose the focus completely.

Getting this exact spot was a challenge but very enjoyable at the same time.

Format: flip book

I think that flipbook is a perfect medium for what I want to simulate. Instead of turning the

focusing knob, you are turning the series of pages instead. The first frame in the series is

very blurry; you have no clue to what you are looking at. And as you turn the pages, the

images reveal themselves. It is this moment of discovery that I want to get across. And

immediately as you hit the perfectly focused frame, you lose it, and starting to see

blurred images again. Thus, there is a ʻperfect spotʼ, a single frame in the book that will

give you the most focused image.

Content:

I will use various SEM images from different years in the Art and Bio archive. I select

images that have high detailed and would lose all of its essence when blurred. I will tint

the images, making them look like they are under water. Creating an illusionary context

of looking at them bare eyes through water without wearing goggles.

The process:

I will use Photoshop to give each image a burring-effect filter. The degree of blurriness

will vary from one frame to the next. Then I will sequence them and using ʻperfect

bindingʼ technique to form the flipbook. Series of images for different specimen will go

right after the other in the book. Each series will have a slightly different color tint so that

Am Saiyavath Art and Biology Proposal For Artist Book it prompts the reader/flipper to anticipate the next specimen coming up.

The details:

Photoshop blur filter has an option for blurriness value ranging from 0 to 250. I planned

on picking 20 different values from this range so that I have 20 out-of-focus images

progressing from very blurred to almost clear. Then the 21st image is the un-filtered,

perfectly focused image. The next 20 images will be the reuse of the first 20, just in a

reverse order, totaling to 41 frames per specimen. So the book progresses from blur >

clear > blur. Picking the 20 different values of blurriness canʼt just be random. And what

makes it tricky is that it canʼt be and even progression of number either. Human eyes

cannot detect much difference in the very blurred zone like 220 and 250, but we are

good at seeing the difference between the blurriness of say 3 and 6. So I decided to use

triangular number to pick numbers that are close to each other in the less blurriness

zone, and numbers that are more far apart in the very blurred zone. Here are the 20

values: 1 3 6 10 15 21 28 36 45 55 66 78 91 105 120 136 153 171 190 210

Am Saiyavath Art and Biology Proposal For Artist Book