A Day

Assist. Prof. Phanas Phokthavi

Introduction

Every day, we encounter many incidences that go through our lives again and again. From the cheerfulness of not having any responsibility in childhood, we grow up, more and more things came into our life. From the abundance of joy and freedom, we, instead, face suffering, anger, sadness, loneliness, and disappointment. Many times the feeling of suffering had a greater influence than the side of happiness. But as this negative feeling grows as life goes by, consequently, the experience of understanding this feeling increases. We know that those feelings will pass. It’s like a routine that we do every day and it passes.

“Everything comes to pass, nothing comes to stay.”
– Matthew Flickstein

” Some days are like this. And the only way to get through them is to remember that they are only one day, and that every day ends.
David Levithan

In this creative work, the concept above is presented through video art by showing the emotions of life. Various feelings especially the suffering that comes into our life are represented by different symbols which can be interpreted differently. Nevertheless, everything flows into the sink like we wash things in everyday life. It’s just “A Day”.

Personal Interpretation
The communication in the work is based on symbolic images and footage as following:
1. People walking in the street
Meaning: Each person has his own life and hope.
2. A bird
Meaning: Compare each person to a bird If staying alone, it will be loneliness.
3. Birds landing on land and walk
Meaning: There is freedom but only some parts in life.
4. Evening clouds
Meaning: Beautiful time
5. Become stormy clouds
Meaning: Becomes a time of obstacles and sorrows
6. Little Light
Meaning: Destination hope
7. Catch the light
Meaning: Able to snatch the hope
8. The light turns into the wind
Meaning: But it slips away like the wind

Ending: All those images disappear in the drain. The water poured into the sink and washed them away like every day.
Meaning: All happiness and sorrows will pass like a daily routine.

If we know that life is that way, we will live understandably. Then, we will be able to control suffering and still be full of hope in every moment that good things will come again.

Conclusion

This video art intends the audience to see the routine of passing. Everything and every feeling that come to our lives will pass and come back as ordinarily. So If we handle them with stillness and experience, we will be able to endure hardships, and be full of hope that good things will come again.
It’s like “A Day” in our life when today ends, tomorrow will come.

Objectives Aims or Purposes

1) To convey that everything, both happiness and sorrow, will pass
2) To understand life, be able to endure hardships, and be full of hope that good things will come again
3) To imply the content with experimental video art

Process or Methods

1) Create the concept of the work.
2) Use the digital camera to capture the main footage of water pouring into the sink.
3) Collect other images and footage from my photos and videos.
3.1 People walking in the street – Photo by Phanas Phokthavi – Shimokitazawa, Tokyo.
3.2 A bird – Photo by Phanas Phokthavi – Rangsit, Pathumthani.
3.3 Birds landing on land and walk – Footage by Phanas Phokthavi – Singapore
3.4 Evening clouds – Photo by Phanas Phokthavi – Rangsit, Pathumthani.
3.5 Become stormy clouds – Footage by Phanas Phokthavi – Rangsit, Pathumthani.
3.6 Little Light – Footage by Phanas Phokthavi – Ratchapruek, Nonthaburi.
3.7 – Catch the light – Footage by Phanas Phokthavi – Ratchapruek, Nonthaburi.8 – The light turns into the wind – Footage by Phanas Phokthavi – Rangsit, Pathumthani. Ending – Footage by Phanas Phokthavi – Rangsit, Pathumthani.
4) Use the digital technique to edit colors and make transitions of the images and footage.
5) Put background sound. and sound effects.
6) Render as a video art and leave the interpretation opened.