The Velco of TV Flow

*Mac the Ripper & Mpeg Streamclip to hijack TV shows

Traces of this attempt to "squeeze" TV 'flow', the
moving-image in general on screen, references Margaret Morse's
essay "An ontology of everyday distraction: the freeway, the mall & television."

Wikipedia says: Velcro is a brand name of fabric hook-and-loop fasteners. The term VELCRO is a registered trademark in most countries. Generic terminology for these fasteners includes "hook and loop", "burr" and "touch" fasteners. The VELCRO company headquarters is in Manchester, New Hampshire, USA. The strength of the hook and loop bond depends on how well the hooks are embedded in the loops and the nature of the force pulling it apart. If hooks and loops are used to bond two rigid surfaces, e.g. auto body panels and frame, the bond is particularly strong because any force pulling the pieces apart is spread evenly across all hooks. Also, any force pushing the pieces together is evenly applied over the entire surface, engaging more hooks and loops. Vibration can also cause rigid pieces to improve their bond.
When one or both of the pieces is flexible, e.g. a pocket flap, the pieces can be pulled apart with a peeling action which applies the force to relatively few hooks at a time. If a flexible piece is pulled parallel to the plane of the fastener surface the force is spread evenly as with very rigid pieces. hooks (left) and loops (right). Two ways to maximize the strength of a bond with one or more flexible pieces are: increase the area of the bond, e.g. long purse strap ensure that the force is applied parallel to the plane of the fastener surface, e.g. bending around a corner or pulley. For example, shoe closures can resist a large force with little bonding area by wrapping a strap through a slot which reduces the force on the fastener by ensuring the force is parallel to the plane of the fastener and by halving the force on the bond by acting as a pulley system.


Concept:

An attempt to physically/tangibly grasp the flow (in scope of flow as a metaphysical register) but not able to do so. In the inability, then finding a mediation that will get close to it, that perhaps through velcro. Velcro, as a metaphor of attachment/detachment, would work as a layer or surface of a t.v. show taking place as its being projected unto the loop-surface. It
would then invite one to unstrip patches of hook-velcro from the fuzzy loop surface and rearrange them in any other parts of the screen to catch and reveal the t.v. show being projected onto the entire surface of the velcro. The loop-surface would be black while the hook-surface is white. One would then unhook/detach any which parts of the velcro and arrange
them in a way that would recreate another or missing parts of the whole t.v. show being projected as the rest will not be visible on the black loop-velcro surface. It would work a bit like a puzzle or those poetry refrigerator magnets. If anything, it'd be a means to engage with TV flow, through velcro as a mediation, (in an attempt to unstrip, detach, rearrange the moving-image); velcro as an adhesive (both literal & metaphorically) to unstrip the content and 'flow' of a TV show.

This would hope to engage with flow through a certain 'diagnosis' of unstripping or perhaps just ripping the moving-image apart, in multiple pieces, choosing to see what I want to see without having to be dedicated to an entire frame.

*More connections to be made regarding the fabric of hook & loop velcro, the gesture of 'unstripping' & the intangible
moving-image being projected onto it. --> Now also thinking of this as a hook-suit in which persons can roll around
the the hook-surface. ;) which is already out there but to add a projection onto it.

Materials:

multiple strips of white hook-velcro pieces
tv show preferences are currently being decided
projector
gator/foam core/painted plywood
spray 77 by 3M
white hook pieces
5X5 ft black loop velcro (Levitt Industrial Textile 1-800-548-0097)


Location:

under construction