When choosing a
stimulus, I couldn’t help but gravitate towards this one by Dorothea Tanning
called ‘Insomnias’. I saw a lot of potential in using this as inspiration,
because it doesn’t depict anything realistic or ‘set’. It gives us the
impression of something fluid and almost paranormal, or mystical. There are elements emerging from it, like a few human figures, a crying baby, and angel wings. I chose this work of art as my guide through
choreographing my own dance piece, and while on this journey, I pushed myself
to look at life as a multidimensional shape that has endless angles and
interpretations.
D. Tanning - 'Insomnias' , 1957
My very first thought when looking at my stimulus was the theory of life flashing before your eyes before you pass on. It might sound like a very dark concept to some, but to me it is something I find quite beautiful and almost peaceful and comforting. Life ending is only inevitable. It is not supposed to be a massive shock, as it’s the only thing we know that is certain. Life begins, to end. The idea of memories rushing before you, at your final moments is something I find soothing, as it gives the essence of a full circle finally being complete.
A team of scientists accidentally did some research on the concept of memories being the last thing a person ‘sees’. They were measuring the brainwaves of an epileptic patient, when he suffered an unexpected heart attack which was fatal. This revealed that the brainwaves of the patient had the same patterns as dreaming or recalling memories, in the 30 seconds before and after the incident. After this discovery, more research was done, and it is fascinating how even though the patient was declared dead, his brain activity was proof that he might’ve been dreaming or recalling memories.
I also found myself thinking about a specific painting by Pablo Picasso, named ‘Guernica’. This piece of art has some certain elements that remind me of my stimulus, and given the background of this painting, I realised just how differently death can be depicted. ‘Guernica’ was believed to be inspired by the tragic events that took place during the Spanish Civil War, when the Nazis performed a casual bombing practice on the town of Guernica. Obviously, this painting has a lot more differences to my stimulus, as it’s black and white and a lot clearer image wise. This however gave me the opportunity to understand the difference between a violent death and a peaceful one. This opposing dynamic only led me to understand my very own interpretation better, and now I realise that just like any story or concept, death has two very different sides.
Pablo Picaso - Guernica 1937
My goal with this piece is to show some of the very different sides of the human consciousness, varying from the simplest of thoughts, to the most complicated and unnerving ideas. The end is always the same. Everyone ends up where it all started. The butterfly will either lead you back to life as we know it, or to the light.
Word Count: 509
Resources:
Image no.1:
'Insomnias', 1957, Dorothea Tannings
Available at: Insomnies (Insomnias) | Dorothea Tanning
Image no.2:
'Guernica', 1937, Pablo Picasso
Available at: Guernica | Description, History, & Facts | Britannica
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