Altered States

I feel like my move at the moment is to just go with my instincts, because I know I won't be happy with the work I come out with if I don't enjoy making it or the idea I'm pursuing.

My process is going to be very intuitive in this last week of my project. My aim is to create a space for my characters to exist in that feels fitting for the lifestyle they lead. This lifestyle is the result of naivety and the independence these characters have to dictate their own state of experience, their own perception of their world and the space they inhabit in it. It's very important for me to show that the character dictates their own motivations and occupations.

This was the first time I'd been able to test my pieces out with an audience, and on a whim I incorporated a performance/ interactive element. I think people really enjoyed this part of the piece, and it allowed me to be a sort or information point to convey more information about the world. If I were to play a character in my piece again, I would definitely practice before, maybe script roughly some phrases or characteristics to make the character more concrete as part of the piece and not just me in a mask.

My favourite installation placement was up the stairs on the top floor. In the reflection it was mentioned that if I were to use this location, there could be more signage to indicate the journey to get to the location, and music coming from above leading you in would also be an effective way of doing this.

I accidentally left some unedited material in at the end so only watch the first bit of these.

Pinwheel-

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xAI-ax_4tx3ZjtuQhteTLbh7B2O2pHyW/view?usp=sharing

The last week or so I have been working on film pieces using a green screen and various props and set.

This processed has made me realise that I want the focus of my work and the viewers attention to be on my physical works rather than a screen. I've always been aiming for an otherworldly, tactile experience, and I don't think that can be accomplished digitally.

I also want in to be centered on one concise thing or story, not an ensemble of stories and characters. I think that I want it to have the set up of a sitcom, and the potential and depth of a cartoon.

My concept at the moment is an interdimensional set, a plane where astral and material matter coexist. Anything can happen, like in a dream. There is a strong sense of the flow of potential energy and creative force.

I'd like to present the characters who live in the exhibition space, not just their stuff and artifacts. Maybe they all lead a certain lifestyle, like living within cycles and having festivals to celebrate stages in the seasonal heartbeat. Maybe they'll have odd abilities (like speaking bird) or odd interests and hobbies (like an interdimensional pen-pal), or odd professions (like hairdresser with weird magazines, or outlaw, or games developer, or tour guide for a spot their super passionate about).

I'm quite happy for this piece to be suggestive rather than the viewer having a clear understanding of the lore I've made behind this story. I'm also happy for it to be interpreted. My main goals are to create a space that feels material but unreal/ like dream matter. As in it's material in the same way you think things are in dreams. The experience is to celebrate the everyday, and make the viewer feel present in the space, while creating an otherworldly feeling to everything and an otherworldly story.

The next section of the project will follow a character called Pinwheel, who classes themself as religious, but not part of a specific organisation. They have a very experienced based practice, which is something I want to convey to the audience in the video. Many of their core beliefs stem from their personal experiences rather than taught faith, though aspects of their beliefs overlap with mainstream religious concepts.

At the moment I'm thinking about different types of scripture and religious records. This was something I didn't include much in my last video because I didn't really get time to, but I'm currently considering if the videos themselves are a form or scripture to the curator. Maybe the whole space is a type of scripture. Either way, forms of scripture is something I'd like to do some research on.

I have a particular interest in Catholicism, as it's the religion I feel I have the best understanding of due to my Catholic upbringing. I think it's a faith I can reflect on with experience and the perspective of having been both a believer and refuter at different points in time.

BIBLICAL GENRES:

The use of genres in the bible is something that interests me a lot, and I don't think I've seen a genre set like this outside of religious scripture. Genre was a focus of mine previously, as I went though a period of time where I saw the altered perspectives people have on reality as unique genres.

-Narrative: This genre is also called Historical, but on a personal level I see them as interpretable. Examples of Narrative in the Bible includes Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, the Gospels. Some interpret these as spiritual lessons or metaphors. Some link Jesus' use of fables and parables in the Gospels to the Bible in a wider sense.

-Poetry: Found in the different Psalms, the Poetry biblical genre is identifiable for it's use of vivid figurative imagery, repeating ideas, expression of emotion and symbolism. The fullness of life is an important thing communicated in this genre.

-Wisdom: In Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes, the reader is addressed with the aim to share wisdom on leading moral and ethical lives. I've seen this genre described as law, but usually those who do view much of the bible as law as well, such as sections of Exodus.

-Prophecy: The four major prophets of the bible are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel, as well as the 12 minor prophets. They usually came about during times of spiritual or political stress. Prophets are considered mouthpieces of God and teach spiritual lessons.

-Gospels: The Gospels are proclamations of Christ's life, written by true believers of his teachings. They are documents of faith.

-Epistles: These are letters and communications between individuals such as Saint Paul and specific groups. Each served different purposes - they were occasioned texts.

-Apocalypse- The book of Revelations and parts of the book of Daniel convey urgent messages of warning and comfort. Some are interpreted to be literal prophecies of the end of days.

ORIGINAL SIN AND THE TREE OF KNOWLEGE:

Terrance McKenna- psychedelic salon podcast:

In this talk, Mckenna talks about the original sin in terms of psychedelics. Misbehaving is taught as a great sin, the original sin in the bible. ‘They will become as we are’ if they eat the of tree of knowledge. We need experience to be alive, we needed to eat from the tree of knowledge. We should not repress ourselves as punishment. We are particularly suppressed to the psychedelic experience. ‘It enriches the accessible universe...’ the completion of the individual is dangerous to the dominator.

Rejecting the guilt from Eden that is handed down.

Worship of the completion of the individual. The search for freedom. Living in a spiritually unregulated state. Doing this lowers the importance of governing institutions.

Chaos is the environment in which we all thrive. Embracing chaos.

INTERPRETATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD:

Brian Muraresku-

'The kingdom of the father is spread upon the earth, and people do not see it.' - the gospel of Thomas

We are looking for an experience of being alive that resonates with our inner most being - the rapture of being alive - Joseph Campbell

Until you’ve experienced death, you can’t experience life - you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.

Eleusinian sacred rituals of mystery cults, death and rebirth. Plato called the experience ‘the sacred sight and vision’.

Links between sacramental wine and Kukeon, and the holy wine of the good of ecstasy Dionysus - to drink the god is to become the god. The sacramental wine was meant to make you immortal too.

Jesus used the work Musteria - Greek - you have to be born again to see God’s kingdom. - Baptism? Rebirth ceremonies?

I have finished filming Bird Brain and am in the last stages of editing. When I have finished, I will post it here.

Having now used a green screen for the first time, I can see the potential green screen use has considering my love of doing digital work in combination with physical work. I think if I were to do this film again I would make better use of the width of the green screen and frame the shrine in a way where it doesn't take up the whole screen. It would have been interesting to experiment more with backgrounds and settings, which is what I intend to do in the next video.

I think I should also think more about the viewer's experience in the set up of the video. It was effective at documenting the space and the albums, but not as much at creating an atmosphere. I think this is where the green screen could have been used better. I could also have storyboarded the sequences to have more of an aim in my head before filming.

In my further editing, I'm planning to incorporate some text somewhere. This might be quotes from Bird Brain songs, or from the musician EHG, or even quotes or phrases I've come upon that I think explain the context of the video a bit more without giving it away.

I'm currently setting up the set for Bird Brain in front of the green screen. I've made another album for EHG, which has more references to Astral Projection in it. I've also made the mask for Spooke and sketched out some notes on the albums and such to show that Spooke has been writing about EHG and his teachings.

I'm not sure how the green screening will turn out, because I haven't tried it before. I might have to have a back up.

So far I have made the face cut out board, the alter, the main boards of the shrine and the vinyl album for Creachure Like Us. I also made some promotional posters for the band. So far I'm happy with how everything has turned out, I think the vandalised look using sharpies and spray paint is effective at making the whole set feel authentic and as is the character who put it together is genuinely obsessed. I think the fact that it is all covered in Spooke's art shows how much they appreciate and reflect on EHG's work. Generally the scrappy look of everything is pretty cool, using old bots of skip material and such, and is something I'd like to continue in my future work.