ArtsAPI Artist Commission_ Ed Carter and David Cranmer ‘Smoke Signals’
In 2015, I was commissioned to film Smoke Signals, a mesmerising art installation created by Ed Carter and David Cranmer for ArtsAPI.
As someone devoted to artist documentary filmmaking, it was an exciting chance to record how innovative artists transform complex ideas into powerful visual and sonic experiences.
Data Visualisation Beyond the Screen
Smoke Signals is a prime example of how artist documentary filmmaking can capture the hidden stories behind creative works. At first sight, the installation captivates with hypnotic visuals. Twelve smoke-ring cannons shoot perfect rings into the air—shapes that float briefly before dissolving. Yet beneath this spectacle lies an extraordinary concept: turning the intangible flows of digital data into a physical, sculptural, and sonic performance.
Unlike traditional charts or digital graphs, Smoke Signals transforms data into an ephemeral artwork. The piece translates the internal communications of seven UK arts organisations into patterns of smoke rings and sub-sonic vibrations. Every smoke ring corresponds to a distinct communication event drawn from anonymised email data, transforming invisible data networks into visible art. Capturing this process is exactly the kind of challenge that makes artist documentary filmmaking so rewarding.
Where the smoke rings intersect, a central subwoofer emits low-frequency sounds, causing turbulence that mimics how online conversations overlap and collide. It’s a striking metaphor for how information flows through our digital age—a perfect subject for anyone interested in data visualisation art and artist documentary filmmaking.
The Polybius Square and Sonic Storytelling
Carter and Cranmer’s vision for Smoke Signals drew inspiration from the Polybius Square cipher, an ancient Greek method for encoding letters into numbers. This influence is visible in the structured arrangement of the smoke cannons, creating a spatial choreography that resonates with cryptographic history.
Sound is equally critical. The sub-sonic frequencies used to propel the smoke rings form part of an evolving soundtrack, constantly shifting in response to real-time data. Each pulse signifies different communications, converting abstract data into a multi-sensory experience. This integration of sound and visuals offers rich material for artist documentary filmmaking, revealing how art and technology seamlessly intersect.
About Ed Carter and David Cranmer
Smoke Signals is the result of a dynamic collaboration between Ed Carter and David Cranmer artist.
Ed Carter, based in North East England, is renowned for interdisciplinary works blending architecture, sound, and sculpture. His practice often explores place-based narratives, engineering principles, and sonic experimentation. Projects like Flow (2012)—a floating waterwheel on the River Tyne that generated music from tidal currents—solidified his reputation in contemporary art UK. His work provides fascinating subjects for artist documentary filmmaking, given his deep connection to history and place.
David Cranmer, who works under the name concrete & robots, is a London-based artist and mechanical instrument builder. He crafts unique kinetic sculptures and robotic instruments from electronics, mechanics, and sound. From robotic bagpipes to complex mechanical orchestras, his creations are perfect examples of experimental art film aesthetics and offer compelling stories for artist documentary filmmaking.
Together, Carter and Cranmer bring innovative concepts and precise mechanical artistry to every collaboration—a synergy captured perfectly in Smoke Signals.
ArtsAPI: Making Data Tangible
Smoke Signals was commissioned by ArtsAPI, a research project exploring how arts organisations generate value through networks and relationships led by FutureEverything. ArtsAPI believes that while arts organisations create immense cultural and social value, they often struggle to express it in ways funders and policymakers understand.
Instead of relying on reports or infographics, ArtsAPI sought an artistic response. Smoke Signals fulfills that vision by transforming digital data into a sensory artwork, perfectly embodying why artist documentary filmmaking is essential for telling these hidden stories.
Filming the Ephemeral
Filming Smoke Signals posed both technical and creative challenges, at the heart of artist documentary filmmaking. Capturing smoke rings required careful timing and high-speed filming to reveal the graceful motion of each toroidal ring as it twisted and drifted in mid-air.
Recording the deep sub-sonic frequencies was equally vital. These low rumbles aren’t merely sounds—they’re physical sensations. Preserving that presence on film required specialised audio techniques, another crucial skill in artist documentary filmmaking.
This project reminded me why I’m passionate about artist documentary filmmaking: turning complex artistic ideas into powerful visual stories that audiences can feel and understand.
Why Smoke Signals Matters
In an era dominated by screens and digital dashboards, Smoke Signals offers a radically different way of understanding data. It shows that data is not just abstract numbers—it’s sound, turbulence, movement, and physical presence. Thanks to the creativity of Ed Carter and David Cranmer, data becomes not only visible but deeply human, offering rich subjects for artist documentary filmmaking.
Filming Smoke Signals remains one of my most rewarding experiences. It embodies the power of artist documentary filmmaking to connect viewers with art’s invisible layers, transforming digital concepts into breathtaking visual and sonic encounters that stay with us long after the smoke has faded.
Explore More Artist Documentary Filmmaking
If you’re interested in other films capturing artists and their work, you can explore my collection of artist films here: https://alanfentiman.co.uk/vimeo-videos/artist-films/