In Available Light (2013), the camera hones in on an operator, whose face is mostly obscured by a colorful, spinning pinwheel. His long, slim fingers repeatedly press, twist, and turn a series of knobs appearing to control the action of machinery not visible. Variations in the whirling of the pinwheel, quickness of finger movements, and mechanical sounds appear to signal differences in the speed of off-screen machinery and demand for operator attention. The mechanical sounds redirect the eye to places it cannot find, and there is tension as the viewer struggles to see more of the operator’s face. Speed ramping is employed to speed up or slow down the action, allowing more or less light to land on the film. The abstract nature of the piece conveys no narrative but the work is held together by gesture: the repeated and fluid movements of the operator’s hands over the course of the action.

Directed and Conceived by Christopher Richmond

Cinematography: Boa Simon

Sound: Christopher Richmond

Sound Design: Marvin Astorga

Re-recording Mixer: Marvin Astorga