a caring hand, a fading thought
Still from ‘a fading thought’.
These two pieces of video work were made together but can be viewed separately. This project was focused on themes of duality, spirituality and connection to nature as a form of escapism. I used dual colours of purples/pinks with oranges/yellows, to create an otherworldly, dreamlike quality. Using the layering technique to create multiple characters I aimed to achieve the feeling of constant cycling between thoughts through repeated movement and imagery. Using the sound of singing bowls to reflect the spiritual practice of meditation, allows the viewer to enter into a trance-like state of consciousness.
a caring hand
Performance/Lens. (2min56sec)
Duality deals with the motif of the Yin and Yang, how in life there must be a balance between good and bad, peace and chaos. This film reflects the peaceful, caring, ‘good’ side. I filmed still shots, and slowed down the clips to create the feeling of the protagonist being calm and contemplative. The setting is the lake that is opposite my childhood house. It holds a lot of meaning, when I was younger I would come down to the lake to draw and read, when I got older I found myself coming here less because of my busy work schedule. I feel like revisiting this place as an adult and going back to what I love most, creating at the lake, was cathartic and freeing. I have so many memories here, like playing in the sand and building make-believe ‘campfires’ and ‘kitchens’ - I would always daydream about my future life. I wanted to mimic these feelings in this film, creating a dreamlike vision of nostalgia. I feel like the through the use of slow movement it encapsulates the gentle, loving, and carefree feeling that I remember and associate with the lake.
a fading thought
Performance/Lens. (3min11sec)
The protagonist here is searching for the rocks but struggles to find it, then moves on and this cycle repeats. This reflects the idea of a lost or ‘fading thought’, how things can seem important in the moment, but with time these feelings tend to fade as new emotions or events happen - we move on. The ladder brings a visual structural element, it is grounding and stable, reflective of the protagonist in ‘a caring hand’. The ladder metaphorically acts as the presence of strength and support. The silhouette is deteriorating and ‘fading’ into the natural landscape.
I projected and installed ‘a fading thought’ onto the lifts @ Belfast School of Art.
This body of work was made in 2019