Explanation of Sources/Materials for Identity Project

All the eyes and mouths on the window were from my own images. The images projected were appropriated from books and have personal significance to my psyche. Also projected were self-portraits of reflections and shadows and journal collages. The vocal track used in the video was done by a dear friend and collaborator Scott Weaver from Babyshaker, the track has not been released and was taken from a demo donated by Scott.
My identity has always been about transformation and traveling. It has also been molded strongly by my amzing parents and people i am extremely lucky to call friends. I do not see myself as seperate from the world of nature and humanity even though I do feel alone often. People are mirrors for each other if we choose to look. On the subject of looking the eyes have it.... I chose eyes as a strong recurring symbol beacuse it is one obvious way we experience the world from a truely unique perspective. Artist also have to discover a voice hence the mouths. On the subject of vison I struggle part of me thinks that vision takes place on the outside and on the inside, this is why the eyes were shattered and burned to get to the interior vison. There is a celtic myth about how the Celts recieved their form of divination that resonates with me. Odin hung himself from the world tree and on the third day an eye was gouged out by a raven representing thought or memory, when this eye was gone Odin had the ability to see into the Otherworld this is were he recieved the runes of divination. The themes here are self sacrifice to achieve knowledge of an invisble but essential world. The mouths signify the artist voice mine is still being formed so the mouths were all closed.
Windows signify points of entry to me as do doors but windows are often entry points for more etherial things like light.They represent the transiton pint between outside and inside realms, hopefully i created something that expressed a temporary glimpse or "window" into moments of transition and union of forces.

Notes From Identity Project

5 Visual Anchors

traveling over water
tree roots breaking thru concrete
lightening storm in bathroom as a child
setting my room on fire
pouring water from an empty horn
first time fired a gun


Words

storm- tempest, cloudburst, hurricane , turbulent, raging, roaring, pouring, dark, violent, menacing ,threatening
shattered-broken, splintered, destroyed, crushed, gashed, crumbled, cracked, mangled
traveling-roving, wandering, sailing, voyaging, traverse, quest, adventure, orbit, wayfaring, migrating, junketeer
break-breaking-fracture, rift, split, shism, rupture, breach, eruption, bursting, division, parting, cleavage, collapse, sever

My theme seemed to be breaking through things. I like the iidea of breaking through old paradigms and habits like a root pierces concrete or lightening clears the air thick with tension to reveal clarity. Also fire is a transforming force in nature a purifing fore for the natural world. The idea that something percieved as so violent and destructive is actually a necessary function of the natural world to keep undergrowth clear in the forest so when there are fires the larger trees don't burn cause there is no underbrush or kindling to feed the fire.
I also involved a few friends in this , a couple I have known since i was 16 who have land in SC. One has an artist mind but calls himself a regular joe. It was important to have a space that i felt comfortable to perform these artistic acts of destruction, and these friends provided that. Moving around as much as I did as a child I have no fixed location as my home, home has always been the natural world, and the abstract love and support of family and a few friends. I chose music created by a deear frend as part of the video, he and I share a similar vision of a world in a state of positive destructional flux, a flux we have arole to play in. His music and lyrics have always moved me in a personal way and part of my indentity is as the "wego" not just me but like minded people desiring growth. gotta break now, class time more to come.........

Video

This video is 1 minute 55 secounds. It was shot by me at an undisclosed location in SC. I used Pinnacle Studio Plus video editing program to add my friend Scott Weaver's band Babyshakers unreleased track called Hey Virginia, the fire sound was added in the editing program. The projections were images of mine mixed with a few others including "The Dream of Reason gives Birth to Monsters" by Goya and "Hecate" by William Blake. The projection lasted a while in order to get the timing with the fire, but was edited down to what you see.

Identity 2/23/08

This was a pretty intense project for me, i just finished the video and i'm pretty fried mentally. I do have notes and ramblings that got me here but for now those will have to follow the visuals. Definately learned a few things about myself , my processes, my limits, my friends, and physical space.

Identity Window

This construction measures 3 feet by 5 feet and the inlays are my images printed on clear acetate. The photographs were taken by me using a 35 mm SLR didital camera.

Identity Project 2/23/08

Identity Project