Vital Somatic functions shows a
figure sitting in stillness, surrounded by external and inner thoughts of
movement. It illustrates those moments of
relaxation or meditation when objects and subjects collapse on each
other in our body and mind.
This short film was inspired S.Freud’s
frequent use of the word somatic in describing sexuality and issues of the
body.
The Night-lights, which appear,
are framed with a zoom. Shot from a distance the lights no longer look like night-lights
but take on a different quality, suggesting to the viewer that they could be
vital embryos or somatic cells. The Night-lights show how our lives combine with
external elements to give an inner sense of somatic. By appearing and
disappearing in the dark background, the lights create a space that can symbolize
different functions from both history and the present.
After a few seconds the
transitions continue with a scene that layers together boiling eggs and a
forest of trees. These two elements provide a metaphor for the coming together
of mind and body and private and public space. The woodland also suggests how
within these spaces we can both search and discover.
Eggs are a natural food and are
used in all cultures of cooking. I use them specifically because they are the
symbol of continuity for future creatures, both human and animal. They are the
best product for human life.
The film also shows the body in
the shower. This scene provokes questions as to whether it is the cleansing of
the body from memories of the past or everyday pollution or the mind from guilt
or even getting ready for pleasures.
Vital somatic functions are a multi-layered
film with scenes that I hope provoke many various readings.
I recorded these images over the
period of a year in different places and at different times during my daily
life. I played with a variety of footage to create this film. They are;
night-lights in Istanbul, Walking through a woodland, Boiling eggs, a man
(figure) having a shower and a film taken of the artist during a session of
hypnosis and meditation.
All the scenes are brought
together with a soundtrack recorded on the London underground.
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