A paper delivered at the one-day conference ‘Old Media New Work’, Institute for Modern and Contemporary Culture, University of Westminster 2 May.
Using slides, live video and dramatic dialogue I attempt an overview of the Zoetrope phenomenon, detailing its origins in scientific discourse, its commodification as an optical toy, and the longevity of its influence from late-19th century motion studies to early 21st century artist’s film. Touching briefly on the neurological functions underpinning what we erroneously refer to as ‘persistence of vision’, I finally describe my own unrealized vision of a living zoetrope using the human figure.
