‘I had a dream’ 

My starting point for my work was a story that I heard from a friend, called Adrian, a few years ago. It  was about a near death experience prefigured by a ‘warning’ dream. An edited version of an audiotape of my interview with him was the framework for image taking and the slide show.

The theoretical framework for my work lies in the relationship between moving and still images.  Several authors in ‘Stillness and Time: Photography and the Moving image’ and  a review of this book by Guy Lane are helpful (Green and Lowry Ed, 2006; Lane, 2007). Laura Mulvey observes that the “still image is the bearer of ‘pastness’ and by extension death.” This recalls Barthes viewing of his mother’s image (which we do not see) which induces thoughts and feelings about  his own future death (Barthes, 1982). Hirsch referring to Barthes, in another source, points out that this is “the mother’s death and the son’s mourning, his anticipation of his own death…” (Hirsch, 1997). These ideas resonate in my work which is about death, it’s anticipation and resurrection. Christian Metz, in ‘Stillness and time’ makes a useful comment about moving images which he says suggest ” a sense of ‘presentness’ as opposed to a still image which suggests the past (Green and Lowry Ed, 2006).

There is also an indexical element in the halted image within the slide show. This is Laura Muley, again referring to Barthes, “The halted frame, the arrest…allows the time for contemplation that takes us back to the brief instant that recorded ‘the real thing’ (Green and Lowry Ed, 2006, page 153). Halting the frame also has the benefit of giving the image prominence “the performance of stardom” rather than being ‘swept away and denied’” as might happen with moving images (Green and Lowry Ed, 2006, page 153).

Personally, I think the there is something powerful about this story. For me it is primarily about resurrection and rescue from death - a Lazarus moment. I am also struck by the ‘“beautiful” experience of almost dying, that it is not a fearful experience: maybe my passing will be like that. 

References

Finn, T. (1993). Protected. Before and After. http://lyrics.wikia.com/wiki/Tim_Finn:Protected, Lyrically.

Green and Lowry Eds (2006). Stillness and Time: Photography and the Moving image. London, Photoworks/Photoforum.

Lane, G. (2007). “Stillness and Time: Photography and the Moving Image (Review) https://www.academia.edu/5697845/STILLNESS_AND_TIME_PHOTOGRAPHY_AND_THE_MOVING_IMAGE_EDITED_BY_DAVID_GREEN_AND_JOANNA_LOWRY_DESIGNED_BY_LOUP.”The Art Book 14(3).

Barthes, R. (1982). Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography. London, Jonathan Cape.

Hirsch, M., (1997) Family Frames: Photography, Narrative and Postmemory.  Harvard

Audio

Interview with Adrian Smith; Recorded 30th September 2016 by Morris Gallagher.

Wave music; ‘Summer waves at Charmouth beach in Dorset’ https://www.freesound.org/people/konakaboom/sounds/203156/download/203156__konakaboom__summer-waves-at-charmouth-beach-in-dorset.wav. Accessed 2nd April, 2017

ECG sounds; https://www.freesound.org/people/FreqMan/sounds/32329/download/32329__freqman__heartmonitor-ekg.wav, https://www.freesound.org/people/FreqMan/sounds/32329/ Accessed 2nd April, 2017