centritis

Colin Kenniff, 28

1. Where did you get the idea for making these videos? Where have they taken you?

I couldn’t sleep one night, and I needed something to do to pass the time, so I started trying to make videos with this cheap digital camera I bought that was half-broken. I kept fooling around with it for a while until it finally died. But my sister was kind enough to let me borrow her camera, which was a lot better quality, and so that allowed me to try some different things. With a few of the videos I may have had a specific idea of something, though with a majority of them I pretty much just end up framing a place, turning on the camera and let things happen, or not happen. It’s a worthwhile exercise to do, because it affords me an opportunity to notice things that I may not have otherwise.

2. Though simple at first appearances, the videos are beautiful in the sense that they are extremely thought provoking and peaceful. How do you feel when you make them?

I’m naturally attracted to things and places that are quiet or peaceful, and any sort of creative activity makes me feel more grounded and tends to lend a bit more coherence to the world around me; so, I’m generally in a calm frame of mind when I make them. Taking videos-similar to taking photographs-requires me to be a lot more sensitive to whatever is around me, whether it be sounds, silence, light, movement, proximity/distance, which are all things that are really important for me to be aware of. Though I think a lot of times, I’m guilty of getting too caught up in the act of trying to preserve a moment or situation I’m in, and as a result lose the ability to fully appreciate what it is making me feel. I’ve found that doing things like the videos, or some activity that still has an element of creativity to it, but is within a context or with tools that I am less familiar with-or better yet, completely naïve about- is an effective way to counter this, and in turn, can make the present feel more present.

3. Why do you mix moving pictures with still ones on your stream? Is there a particular medium that holds a special place in your expressionism?

I think I gravitate equally to both moving and still images. Each resonate with me in their own unique way, but at some level they kind of cross over into each other and merge together. I have been taking pictures on and off since I was very young, so for as long as I could remember I’ve had a certain fascination with observing. I have a strong admiration for those who can articulate something visually with clarity and honesty, but it’s something I’ve always struggled with. Even though I am very passionate about mediums like photography or film, and get a lot out of working with images, I would say that sound is rooted a great deal deeper in me. I’ve always felt far more at home with a guitar in my hands than a camera. 

4. You’ve expanded from just ambient pieces to more along the lines of daily reflections, if you will, do you see yourself expanding to any further areas?.

I’m not sure. I haven’t really thought about it. I’ve just been trying to follow impulses whenever they come-some of which end up going somewhere, most of which fail miserably. I don’t know if it will be something that goes anywhere further. For now, I’m content with just using it as a way to help me observe small, simple moments.

5. Your music is fantastic, any plans to start releasing work?

Thank you. I’m currently trying to focus on writing music for a proper release of some kind. I don’t know when that will be. People have been after me for a while to get something out there, and I figured it’s probably time I did. Other than that, I’ve been keeping a blog here for a while where I put random projects that I’ve worked on and update it every so often with things. 

Colin’s blog & flickr.