I met Gavi at Miraafest as she was one of the artists working on visual works for the event. While I was working on the virtual exhibition I added some of her work on the exhibition. The videos will be added in the feature, but I was just fascinated on what can be done at home along with a camcorder along with tape and film of course. I look forward to their next pieces of work. One of this week's features is Gavi, @1teaspoonhoney
We begin by asking Gavi what they have been enjoying as of recently as they say "Lately I’ve been trying my hand at growing oyster mushrooms and cherry tomatoes and have been trying to get around to completing some unfinished fiber and sunprint projects. Although mostly I’ve just been taking it easy and taking inspiration as it comes." I recall seeing the sunprints on Gavi's Instagram story and they looked pretty cool. It looked like something I would definitely have to be gentle with. Other than that as she mentions trying her hand at a green thumb we also tried growing grapes here at the house, but we almost got it. She continues by sharing some of her favorite pieces of work "I think it will always be hard for me to consider anything as ultimate favorites but I do find myself revisiting lots of particular works that most center me. I like rewatching Richard Linklater and Chris Marker films on tender days or the original Twilight Zone episodes when I’m itching for inspiration. In regards to music, I tend to match my moods or the atmosphere of my intentions but lately I’ve been replaying a lot of Ronald Langestraat, Ahmad Jamal, and other general jazz when studying." I'm going to have to google a couple of these for sure, but I am a fan of the original Twilight Zone episodes.
Entering the world of VCRs and Camcorders how did Gavi first get interested in working with film as she explains "I grew up with tapes and VCRs so maybe there was always a nostalgic factor, but my curiosity really sprang when I found a Flying Erase Head VHS camcorder at a pawn shop that I ended up using for a school project. It just looked like a really cool piece of gear to play with, and I didn’t realize at the time that it was basically a door that led me to a new world of expression." How one thing leads to another. Someone else's treasure and world once captured through the same lens now used by you. I grew up reading a lot Gameinformer magazines as a kid and always wanted to just write and well now I do! I suppose thinking about it really does bring me back. I do want to make a short magazine one day, but we shall see. We truly do have our beginnings.
From a camcorder being bought and used for a school project does Gavi recall the first film she's created along with its progress as she recalls "Yes. Although I would daydream about things to record or of scenarios for a good bit, my first time really putting a video together was for a school project. It was all fairly hectic in the beginning since the initial battery in my camcorder was fried and there were other added things to consider on top of barely really learning how to navigate video editing programs, but I really wanted to make something I would consider fun and substantial. There was lots of hands-on trial and error as there was, what I felt, very limited resources in analog film at the time but that along with my own research and curiosity kind of pieced each piece of the puzzle together bit by bit. I did have the best help and encouragement from my best-friend and boyfriend in that very beginning too and I think it maybe went a long way in really feeling like tape and film as a medium still holds a lot of potential." As she mentions the obstacles being "the initial battery in my camcorder was fried" along with "barely really learning how to navigate video editing programs." Even with these "obstacles" she had the determination of wanting "to make something I would consider fun and substantial" as she put the "puzzle together bit by bit." She could have easily just dropped it and done something else, but why give it on something you find interesting at the start when there's a road ahead of you. I'm glad Gavi went on and continued with it.
From the first piece of work to the most recent how has Gavi changed or adapted her style? "From first learning how to utilize old camcorders to really exploring other extensions into the medium of film, I found myself in a rabbit hole of video mixers. The way I use them goes against their intended purpose of allowing basic analog editing but I find it the most fun to try to really stretch the potential of something I find myself fascinated with. I use a lot of feedback and sort of bend video signals to try to take footage a step further or add another layer of possibility." Just reading this I was imagining so many things such as the idea of "I use a lot of feedback and sort of bend video signals" which sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, but it's what Gavi is doing with her work as she "furthers" with it as she mentions it. Of course why stop at one thing as she says "I found myself in a rabbit hole of video mixers" and you can do so much more if you find what you're working on and research a bit more. Keep on progressing as an artist and your field of work. Just with how she finishes off her statement with "to take footage a step further or add another layer of possibility" now I'm curious what Gavi has cooking up in the studio.
As mentioned earlier I was able to meet Gavi through Miraaa Media Fest, but how did she feel participating along with other artists and putting her work out there as she says "Being a part of MiraaaFest and seeing other works from the community was absolutely inspiring. It brought me so much tenderness knowing I’m surrounded by so much talent and creatives that love exploring what something like film can really hold. It was amazing seeing all different kinds of work and vision and how much thought and effort was put into making them come to life. I was sincerely blown away and honored to be included and grateful to have the opportunity to try to better put myself out there with my own work too." It was really cool seeing the film/visual arts scene in the Valley coming together along with also experiencing something new that now has my attention as well. C, @shinykid has also been introducing me in more abstract and experimental films as well and it's been amazing. If you are interested in film be sure to check out @entre.tx which is an artist-run community film center and regional archive in the Rio Grande Valley. I do hope to include more visual arts in my upcoming exhibitions. (2nd Year Anniversary Event)
With how Gavi talks about furthering her work and taking footage to the next level how does she wish to grow with her work? "I think in a way I’m always reaching for the unusual and seeing what sorts of things I find in them. Since I have a multitude of varying interests, I think all the different things that a medium like film can hold makes it one of the most open means of expression.
I would love to further explore the different aspects of film like prop and costume design and sound tracking as well as maybe finding myself more confident to see some of my less abstract ideas through. There are many times an idea pops into my head and sticks around like an itch waiting to be scratched and I would hope to one day just really have the time and discipline to sit down and allow them all to truly be." I can totally imagine props and costumes for sure! Keeping it "unusual" is the way to go! Let your varying interesting and art come together and create what comes into your mind. Being able to express yourself, bringing daydreams, thoughts to life through film just sounds like an "itch waiting to be scratched."
Is Gavi working on anything at the moment as she shares with us "I recently finished a shorter lighter-noted piece I put together from scraps from other projects and home footage and added in a small track I put together around the same time the footage was recorded. I like to think of anything I create as a sort of timestamp of my states of being within the span of when the first piece of the puzzle is created to the last puzzle piece. I think by those ends it is only a matter of time until a piece of a new puzzle comes about, but I think I might be within that sort of liminal space at the moment." As she mentions "I like to think of anything I create as a sort of timestamp of my state of being" as we can use the visual "fortheinbetween" as it was something created on a "gloomy day" as mentioned on the description of the film which can be found down below with the corresponding question. As she finished her newest work she now travels with the aim of what's new as the "puzzle" begins a new.
What can be said about the process behind a Gavi home movie? " I think the process is different for each video I create but each are maybe a step further from the one before. The mechanical process would be either shooting film or finding odd vhs tapes from secondhands to then feed into my mixers then exploring the different kinds of feedback or superimposing that fit it best. There are times I listen to music I have set for the idea while mixing, and others where I think of music while simultaneously mixing the video footage. It is a dream setup where I can just turn on my video and music gear together and have both easily interweave into each other. I then convert the analog outputs to digital to store and piece together on Premier Pro. I find the last bits of editing a final video together the most tedious since I really enjoy the hands on feeling when creating but I’ve grown to appreciate other aspects better by it like honing down nice transitions." She did mention earlier on she wants to take her film work to the next level and to higher possibilities and as she says that each one are a "step further from the one before" and that's good to hear. Oh that is so interesting "finding odd vhs tapes from secondhands" and working with that? Now I wonder if Gavi looks for specific type of VHS tapes or does it all depend on the mood? Now that I know this I'm curious! I'm trying to just imagine the set up and how it works together and it just sounds interesting. I did understand the Premier Pro though! Oh okay rereading it a couple times I kinda understand more, but I'm still imaging the studio set up for this.
From looking for odd VHS tapes is there something that Gavi just feels needs to in her work as she explains "This is a good one. I like to think each concept or video has its own personal piece of me within it. In anything I do it’s almost like journaling or releasing something that’s been whirling around inside of me without a shape or form yet and getting it out allows me to observe it from outside of myself. I think if I felt the part of myself that drives me to create missing from a project, I would sit on it until I remembered what made me start it in the first place. Whenever I finish or start on a piece there is usually this sense of catharsis wherein it’s like I am letting what I am struggling with understanding flow through and then before I know it, it’s like I have a representation of those emotional or mental states that were given the outlet to manifest into something clearer and distinguishable. I feel this way about all art I create, and it is the main purpose of why I create at all too maybe. I think it would be hard to not see some parts of myself in things I make since my main driver in creating is almost subconscious and innate in that way, but there are times I try to almost visualize a sort of metaphor in certain works that captures the just of its particular purpose." She did mention earlier on having these being timestamps on her state of being. I feel that there is an importance of being able to be vulnerable in your work. It's not only for yourself, but the connectivity or even as the as the viewer can have a sense of relatability in what they are watching or seeing. As she mentioned earlier as well it is a form of expression and we each have our way of expressing ourselves. I'm glad Gavi enjoys what she does creatively as well as an expressive outlet.
As someone watches Gavi's work what would she like for them to get out of it?
"I think my greatest strife in sharing what brings me peace and joy is the hope of possibly being able to share the catharsis it brings me with others. There are times simple works of art deeply move and ground me and I think that sense of stillness and tenderness is always something I wish I could pass on to people that maybe find it similarly difficult to find a sense of centeredness. It’s a vague thing to hope for but reaching others the way I am reached seems like it would be the pinnacle of my humanity. I think any form of expression is like opening yourself up to a viewer and allowing them to see what is not easily explained and it can be a very vulnerable and subjective thing, but I think it’s the rawest form of human connection." As through music and different forms of art and media people certainly relate and connect with what they see/listen. Even just watching Gavi's "cycleback_" as it mentions humanities essence and our drive. From having the little things in life can truly be the biggest things in your moment. Along with the visual representation chosen from the caterpillar to the cocoon to the butterfly. Even thought she represents the erratic moments that we have to stop as she reminds us that the stars are always lighting up the sky and that the feeling is always there. However you wish to perceive this film by Gavi what I took from it is what I think about it often and it's nice to see it out visually than just as thoughts floating endlessly in my end or sketched on paper. It has truly brought me peace and joy.
If given the opportunity to work with any film makers/creatives who would she choose? "A lot of my most favorite filmmakers like Chris Marker, Rod Serling and Buster Keaton are unfortunately passed but I would find it amazing to work with similar innovatives that create their own branches of a medium to explore and nurture into a whole new way of what it can be. With film this could include painters, clothes and prop designers, light artists, 3d object animators, digital compositing, and much more I haven’t even thought of yet. I think to create a world through film could include so many different perspectives and input and I would love each possibility to be given a chance to come to life, just to see what could be." I'm really interested in learning about film that I'd be sure to look these creatives up when I have the time! It's great to learn about those who's work you appreciate. Would she consider working with other local valley artists? We shall see!
Does Gavi only work with home movie footage or is there other equipment she uses as well as she explains "I think with home footage there’s this inherit sense of reliving a moment through new eyes or having the capability of adding to it in some way while still honoring it. I don’t necessarily use all footage I’ve ever taken but it is something I find sweet about it. I do also use old VHS nature documentaries or odd therapy tapes I find at thrift stores that seem interesting, it’s fun to sort of watch them while also manipulating them visually. I also think there’s some sort of history in them to remember and I like thinking of using VHS tapes as repurposing them to give them an alternate or second life. Since my first VHS camcorder I’ve grown a collection of analog camcorders and now have 3 additional Handycams that I’ve found at thrifts or have been gifted to me by my boyfriend. I like the idea of seeing something considered obsolete and feeling like there’s still some bit of love and appreciation that can go into it. I also have 2 video mixers, a WJ-MX10 and a WJ-AVE5 and most tapes and RCA cables that I use are found at thrifts too. There are some really cool DIY video synths that I would love to add to my setup, but I would also love to one day learn how to put together and solder my own mixer to really understand the innerworkings and guts of the mechanics of them." I loved what gavi mentions "I also think there's some sort of history in them to remember and I like thinking of using VHS tapes as repurposing them to give them an alternate or second life." There is a lot of VHS tapes at thrift stores and second hand stores that I'm sure there's always something for Gavi to repurpose or even keep. Being able to turn something forgotten and have someone watch it in part of your film really is something. Now I'm wondering if the caterpillar growing into a butterfly was from an old VHS tape repurposed! That's so crazy to even think about. By the end of this by from Gavi mentions she has in her collection along with her ideas she is really going to have her own big film studio take up a whole room!
What can Gavi tell us about analog feedback for those of us who don't know what it is? "At its most basic level analog feedback is just the redirecting and manipulation of video signals. It’s done by redirecting video outputs as inputs and then toggling through the different ways a video mixer processes the signals. There’s a lot of moving RCA cables around similar to how modular synths shape audio signals, except with film they are video signals. The way RCA cables are connected and which settings are set can completely change how the video signals interact with each other. There is an aspect of never really knowing what you’re going to get sometimes that is really fun and it takes practice to really know how certain sliders and knobs are going to affect the picture, but it is a perpetual learning process that I find intriguing." I feel like I'm really going to have to search this up. I'm even trying to imagine all of this and it really is a lot to take in. I feel that If I see this in person or even watch a video on it would be helpful! Now I'm like excited to one day try my hand on this for sure! Just knowing and reading this a lot certainly goes into analog feedback that's for sure.
Watching "fortheinbetween" a visual created on a gloomy day. I see a hand, but as it transitions to a figure around the 30 second mark what is that? Seeing the color transition from a white to black to what a gloomy day may be a quick change. Along with the various motions and the reappearance of color back again. As a viewer and reading the bio a "gloomy day" it does come and go, but as the video ends it goes dark and what was in front begins to leave along with leaving a trace of what it was. Of course this is just what I perceived. What can you tell us about this video? "It's always interesting to me how there are so many ways little things can be looked into, and I feel it’s a sort of intimate thing when others share their perspective with me. I made both the video and melodic loop within a 2-day span where I just holed myself up in my bedroom after really feeling like I was coming into acceptance and appreciation with isolation after covid first hit. I remember it feeling like I was nearing this pinnacle of stillness and it drove me to set up my camera gear and grab my midi and just let myself sit in and be ingulfed by it. The form of feedback in that video is different than all the others where I also pointed the camera at my tv to give it that feeling of my states of being opening and closing and forming and dissolving all within seconds of each other but still feeling the sense of calm and flow with it. The shapes you see is me standing in front of the camera and putting myself in that world and interacting with it and realizing it didn’t have to be as chaotic as it felt. It was nice to be able to sort of visualize this sort of window into the cognitive dissonance in my psyche that I could play with all within the confines of my bedroom. I think the visuals came to represent the contracting and expanding of my personal inner world and which parts of myself would always be partial and following me around. I named it fortheinbetween where it felt like it was made in and for that liminal space between becoming and being." It's interesting to know the mindset and the moves made to create this film. Knowing that I have my perception of the film and now knowing what the artist put behind it. What do you think? The film is down below and take a moment to watch it and build up your thoughts.
Gavi shares her thoughts on the local valley scene,
The skill and talent in the valley will always be something almost otherworldly to me. I always think of the RGV as this little plane of existence that is so unique and interconnected in this beautiful way where it is its’ own little world of both cultural and artistic multitudes. As I’ve grown older and seen more and more varying kinds of art pop up, it really keeps reinforcing the feeling that we all have something really special going on here.
Along with a final comment,
One thing I’d like to say is that if something speaks to you, I implore you to reach out and speak back in whatever way you can. It is a beautiful thing to be at all and that is only the beginning of really doing all we can with our reality.