Disconnections

It’s been a long time between jigsaws. Well, only a couple of years, but it feels like a long time.

Something was definitely missing. I could feel it. I would randomly search for a spot where I could permanently set up a board, and fail time and time again. There were too many other things that seemed more important, that required their space, that wouldn’t be budged.

That made the moment I finally joined one side to the other all the more magnificent, and this year’s photo series was born. Major Delights in a Minor Key. A quick snap and a post to Facebook.

Mini Jigsaws

Jigsaws, in my house, include an additional game. The aim is to reassemble a selection of usually unconnected pieces that capture the essence of that particular jigsaw experience. I would then take a photo and write a blog post.

Interested? Click here to see my Mini Jigsaw project!

But I couldn’t make it work this time; perhaps I’m just out of practice!

This time, influenced by watching many hours of YouTube videos, I pulled out my phone, propped it up against a cup and started pulling the jigsaw apart.

The video

The result is more arty than informative (although ‘arty’ is in the eye of the beholder). If you’re game, it will be five minutes of your life and 26MB of data you won’t get back.

The process

Getting to this point was more effort than some would think warranted by this 5 minutes of video. However, I’m always up for learning new things. The video was more convenience than intention, an opportunity to be embraced.

This opportunity involved updating my Adobe Premier video editing software so I had a copy on this newer laptop and then coming to grips with the new-look Premier work space.

It also involved finding somewhere to store the videos online (yes, there will be more!). After some research, joined Vimeo because there are no adds. Then, learned how to use their website and how to embed videos in blog posts. It took multiple uploads, using various settings, to finally get something that ran smoothly with the resolution I expected.

But what does it mean? Does it mean anything?

Let’s leave aside any arguments as to whether this effort qualifies as art.

Any possible meaning will depend on whether you believe meaning in art is created by the creator or the viewer! In this instance, the creator had no idea what was going on. It was just an experiment.

So, I’m going to take my position as a viewer, during a time of enforced physical distancing, against the backdrop of quarantines, self-isolations and lockdowns, and ask myself what ideas come to mind when I watch it? How about:

“Connection is a jigsaw’s ultimate state, achieved only rarely in its life. Human connection is the day-to-day norm. We are now being encouraged to keep our distance from others and find new ways to connect. We must pack away old habits and resolve a paradox. We are all in this together … separately.”

What meanings or ideas did you take from the video?

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