"Interactive Hallucination"I am fascinated with artists who can create startling installations as well as performance art and Jim Campbell does it all. While looking through the installation section of his work I came across a title that struck my eye: "Interactive Hallucination," 1998. The pictures intrigued me because I could distinguish a figure, but I was not sure what had been projected upon the people.
This interactive video installation mixes live imagery with images from videodisc and videotape. This creates a real sized, real time, distorted mirror effect on the monitor. The mirror sets the viewer on fire, and also puts a "virtual" woman in the reflection, who is not really in the room. Sometimes the woman observes the viewers passively and at other times her actions affect the virtual space.
The idea of having an hallucination is very frightening to me, but mixing that with watching yourself on fire is even more unsettling. I think it is extremely interesting that Campbell has created a work that really puts the viewer in an uncomfortable position. I am starting to realize that the art is the most powerful when the viewer can relate to it, when it makes them rethink an established idea or notion, and when their emotions are affected by the piece.
In placing the viewer directly within the work of art they cannot help but relate to it. Once they are the subject of the work and forcibly having an hallucination then it is hard not to think about their ideas surrounding fire, death, and their relationships with others. The fact that there is a woman who is placed within the space who either reacts to the viewer or not is extremely influential. The viewer cannot help but feel, at least, simulated fear while the woman screams because they are on fire or anger if she does not react and ignores the viewer.
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