FMP: Tate Modern Visit

The Promise (1936) by Cecil Collins

Photo from https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/collins-the-promise-t01692

I went to visit the Tate Modern's Poetry and Dream room to increase my visual research for my Dream Logging project. Whilst there I cam across The Promise (above), which brought an interesting idea to mind. The pretty scene portrayed here presents two worlds, one above ground and adorned with light and life, the other in darkness, underground. These two worlds reminded me of the two states of dreaming I wanted to represent. My idea: Lucidity could be an "above ground" experience, travelling up for the depths (underground) of our subconscious psyche.  

This visit really started to get me excited about generating ideas and being really experimental with how I portray my message. Does the view really need to know that they are dreaming or witnessing a dream? Perhaps it is the feeling of a release of control is the most important factor here.

FMP: The Interviews

Dream Map drawn out by an interviewee

Photo is authors own

I interviewed people about their dream experience, writing down some of the information, recording the interview and, in some cases, collecting drawings produced by the interviewee. The people I interviewed had experienced evils of lucidity, sleep paralysis and dreams that had appeared to have come true (premonitions). Through talking to these people I have been able to find out new quirks that people have during dream, most notably a change in perspective. I wish to interview people that had more extreme encounters with lucid dreaming and feel as though it is an ultimate escapism. I would also love to speak to some people first hand about astral plane experience to further enrich my research.

FMP: Un Chien Andalou

Un Chien Andalou (1929) screen shot

Un Chien Andalou (1929) by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí was a really helpful film to watch. The experience allowed me to form a clearer idea of the sort of animation I want to produce, in regards to how it is received by the view. Not only do I want it to be an experience that the viewer embarks on, but also a cause of disturbance and discomfort... something that someone would want to escape from. This short film was constructed through a combination of the artists dreams manifest content and that of random sense ideas that seemed to fit well between them both. I now I'm pondering on how I am going to build up my story board. Will it be a sort of montage of my manifest content, will it be a similar process to the making of Un Chien Andalou or could I take a completely different direction?

FMP: Dream Logging Project Proposal

Screen shot of my project proposal power point

Photo is authors own 

After mind mapping the ideas that I currently have surrounding the idea of Dream Logging and deciding what research is necessary for the development of this concept, I composed a power point presentation, in order to pitch my idea to a group of my peers and my tutors. Through doing this I was able to grasp the direction I was heading in with more clarity and allowed others to give me fed back that will enrich my research process and in turn, my ideas to come. For the next stage of my FMP I will use this project proposal to guide my research into the Surrealist and Dada art movements, as well as films/animations that have explored a similar concept to mine, most obviously the Walt Disney animation  Alice in Wonderland (1951).

IT: Poster of the Future

This is a photoshopped image of me outside the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, and a logo I made on Illustrator related to where I want to be in the future, including my aspirations. The text situated to the left is an article I wrote about myself written in third person about future me, the me that I desire to be. It reads: 

"Find what you want is nothing."

"Uplifting words echoed across the globe by the all inspiring Elloise Rosemond. Her life's work to bring positivity and happiness into many lives started at sea, an obvious first move would of course have been Rosemond's decision to start a Pirate Party Ship business. She had completely obsessed with the idea of creating "great vibes" and providing people with a peculiar, innovative space, allowing us all to "transcend into the magical cosmos of music.""

"Music is a huge tool for Rosemond's peach of positive energy, her album - sold in masses - comments on the struggles of life and the ability to rise above what harms us;  love our scars, ourselves and every other living piece of our wold. Her cartoons and artworks are further methods of communicating her message, "I believe that the arts, in all their forms, are the only way of effective communication. Is there really any other way?""

"Rosemond and her three year old son, Archibald, are nomads of the earth - the latter part is debatable, completely free spirited and consumed by the idea of exploring and adventure, "I cannot seem to escape the temptation of new and risk." Inappropriately, I cannot escape my dreaded envy of her entirely liberated mind and body."   

This project was the first time I ever used Illustrator, so i think the results were rather effective. I used my initials, placed mirroring each other inside the space of a peace sign with a sunflower in it. I think all of the images and text harmonise well with each other, promoting messages of peace, love and free spirit. However, if I were to do this project again I would enhance certain aspects of my logo, for instance, the lines within the circle that construct the peace sign are not very clear.

Storyboard Idea: No Face

This story flows from bottom to top.

1) No Face is living in the black obis of the ocean, but decides to venture out onto land to share his poetry. 2) No Face meets a man on the beach who tells him how good his poems are and that he could sell them for him. 3) The man on the beach takes credit for the poems and ends up rich from No Face's work. 4) No Face goes back to the sea and calls upon a siren to help him get his rightfully earned money. 5) One day, the thieving man is relaxing on the beach with all his money and the siren approaches him. Whilst he is entranced by her presence, No Face steals the money from right underneath him. 6) No Face goes to the big city with all his money and becomes a successful poet.

The like the issues tackled here. The fact that No Face hasn't a face, therefore he expresses himself through right. He also has no access to much of an audience so he goes of in search for one. He encounters the greed of the word above and calls onto his family to help achieve his goals. It's definitely an uplifting story. One that is basically a comment on how a talent has found it's voice and identity in a harsh world. However, I don't feel that the struggle No Face encountered brought enough tension and anticipation to the story.