Wave Counter

It begins with surveying, then orienting, focusing, determining a baseline, identifying repeating elements – the pattern, concluding the observation, then reflecting on what it means.

I do this primarily through editing. I have a tryptic of monitors to allow you to survey and establish a horizon. I use video from the same place in each of the monitors to orient you. The color scheme is similar and at first the scale is similar. Through the length of establishing shots and the repetition of establishing shots, there is a sense of focus. The baseline is determined through time and the previous elements. The repeating elements emerge by comparing what has come before to what is happening now and what is happening in conjunction montage – on each side.  In addition to memory and anticipation, what I am exploring can possibly be explained by the phenomena of neural adaptation, specifically the motion aftereffect. This relates to my manipulation of the frame rates of the video.  The neural adaptation can also be applied to auditory experiences. The observation conclusion happens when one frame disappears, then the other two mirror each other, the second to last frame then disappears, the last center frame remains. The reflection on what it means then occurs when the video loops. The reading on the static image.

This process can be applied to other occurrences in life, whether staring at an endless starry night, or through the lens of a microscope, or into a beloved’s eyes.

For instance, early in my research, I made the citizen scientist- the wave counter- the center of the story. This repeats my personal pattern of seeking father figures and elevating them to experts. I later returned to the cliff several times, once with colleagues, then for a final time with my actual father. In this transformation from a seeker, to observer, to equal, to expert, I broke a personal development pattern.

The process can also be akin to the scientific method, which was used by the father of modern oceanography, Dr. Walter Munk to develop wave prediction. His experiments to trace ocean waves from Antarctica to Alaska in the 1960’s highlight the importance of studying the ocean. It demonstrates no one is isolated on the earth. The ocean is subject to systems that connect us all. What happens to the ocean affects everyone.

And to understand it, we need to assign meaning through data. This is where humanity’s connection to technology comes in. Scientists like the late Dr. Munk use data from specialized technology in the ocean to determine wave patterns. This is the same information the wave counter and his wife observe by eye and measure by internal time clocks. Comparing the two methods lends itself to questions of the limits of human senses or the advantages of human senses. It can lead to discussions of obsolescence and AI application. The use of handwritten records also introduces the issue of trust in science.

I was drawn to meditate on the meaning of measuring the sea by a desire to slow down the production and consumption of media. I have watched hours of the same footage of waves. It is a reaction to the quick-paced and sound-soaked edits I produced in local news for 16 years. In this piece, through omission of didactic information – what I call the greater edit- the audience has room to ask its own questions and come to its own conclusions given the right direction and context.