In Progress

This project is the second part of a "triathlon" series that began with Dreadmill. "Cycle of Dread" involves hardwiring a stationary bicycle to a computer so that a cyclist's speed, distance, and heart rate control the outcome of a multilinear, animated narrative. The narrative itself consists of imagery taken from William Blake's illustrations for Robert Blair's poem, "The Grave" (1743). The project is currently being developed with a typical exercise bike and a laptop, but the interactive gallery exhibit will involve a Victorian replica bicycle and a large-scale projection of the animation. "Cycle of Dread" was inspired by Blake's problematic relationship with the publisher Robert Cromek, who favoured technical etchings over Blake's watercolour designs for "The Grave." At the same time, this project is designed to explore the relationship between digital immersion and existential dread. UK artist Dane Watkins is collaborating on the design of the project, and he will be developing his own multilinear narrative for "Cycle of Dread," based on his online animation "Empty Days."