This is a phenakistiscope. As long as you adjust the angle and speed, it shows you a simple “movie” through the slotted disc. The images appear continuous and uncomplicated, offering a small sense of amusement. It repeats endlessly, like finding bits of joy within ordinary daily life.
This little device is the predecessor of film. It is simple yet interesting, and its nonlinear looping resembles daily routines that repeat day after day. After experiencing them long enough, they may feel dull, but with just a small change they offer new sensations and experiences. The animation displayed is the growth of a sunflower, but more than that, it represents our own ordinary process of growth. Time passes, flowers bloom and fade, and everything and everyone follows the same cycle. We find our own patterns within what appears to be a plain life.
Repetition, similarity, fixed patterns, running nonstop, hidden joys in daily life, calm with occasional rises and dips, maintenance.
Loss of something, being forced to face issues, forced continuation, needing rest, societal pressure, inability to feel calm.
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