A few months ago I applied and received funding for the CCW Moving Image Initiative run by UAL. I proposed a collaborative film, with first year student Milo Creese, which uses particular types of shoe or boot as a flag for fashion and consumer trends. Through this idea, I am able to speculate on the humour found in everyday passing observations on these subjects. The film will consist of a neo-psychedelic experience that runs across a loosely strung narrative of absurd situations involving said shoes and characters from our imaginations. As well as this piece being screened alongside the other recipients of the funding at South London Gallery, I have chosen to use it for my degree show. I originally wanted to show my previous work, 'The Orifice', however, upon finishing this project I felt there was more than enough time to create something new and further develop some ideas I had encountered.
I want to push absurdity further with this piece, exploiting the viewer's familiarisation with established styles of filming. I have previously spoken about a lo-fi aesthetic that may come about from the priority of conception, now I would like to try and exploit people's familiarisation with established HD video styles, including high quality shots as a way of making the work more accessible. Then in turn throwing the people off that seek this familiarisation as the majority of the video fill feature my usual working style. I believe that if you give yourself freedom in visual aesthetics on a video project, there is nothing to break out of, and its those parts that break through boundaries where things get interesting. Creating a loose narrative through anchor points that touch down on reality or the viewers typical perception of reality in video, will allow something to work against and create an absurd alternation of that perception/familiarisation. Here are some stills of the work in progress:
