On Film

To help build the performance world of “Blood Memory,” I’m very compelled to create visuals to be projected and accompany parts of the performance. Every time I imagine it, I see these images that feel like oil in water. I can’t fully explain why, but I felt the need to create them and not overthink their meaning.

I did a lot of experimenting with materials to try and get the right density/composition. What I landed on was black oil paint mixed with olive oil and salt. This made it light enough to be suspended in water. (Unmixed, it just sinks to the bottom.) The salt created a little heaviness, so the ink goes a little below the surface of the water. I was interested in that for a potential side view, but I ended up shooting most of the imagery as an aerial shot.

I work with Super-8 film as well as digital video, so for these, I decided to shoot them on black & white super-8 film, which I will process when I return to NY. (I work with an organization called Mono No Aware, which is committed to the preservation of analog moving imagery.) That film will then be scanned digitally, and I will complete the edit in Adobe Premiere to be projected in performance. (There are several reasons for this, one being that I could potentially layer other images with the digital scan of the film. The other being I would rather not add an analog projector into my tech.)

Below you can see an example of the effect that occurs when I agitate the paint to create motion, and the really nice magnetism it contains. The blob just wants to go back together. There’s definitely a metaphor there. (My super-8 camera shoots more of a square frame, so imagine just seeing the water and paint without all of the distraction on the edges.)

I have one roll of film left to shoot before I leave town! I am moving away from the paint experiment but may find some abstract nature imagery, like moving water, leaves, shadows, light patterns, etc. I want it to be abstract enough that an audience could project their own meaning onto it but strong enough that it holds the space and feels purposeful. I’m excited to see these projected on walls soon.