The concept for this project is still a major work in progress. I have always wanted to do some kind of surrealistic impression or interpretation of my dreams. Salvador Dali is one of my favorite artists not only because he was completely eccentric, off the wall, and an out-of-the-box thinker, but I find that his paintings really challenge the viewer in such a unique way; they make you feel slightly uncomfortable, slightly in awe and slightly curious. You're not sure what you're supposed to feel when looking at them, nor are you sure of what it is exactly that you're looking at. I have always been one to probe to find a deeper meaning in things, to go beneath the surface, and that's exactly what you do when you look at a Dali painting. Surrealism is the rendering of dreams in literature, art or music, and that is what I want my project to rooted in.
Dreaming is fascinating. I often wake up after a dream to write down a few keywords I can remember from it, or even a sketch or a quick doodle. Every psychologist under the sun has their own explanation and interpretation of our dreams, but really, scientists say that they are just neurons in our brain firing back and forth while we sleep, creating these vivid images and scenarios. But what about when you dream and you see or meet a person that you've never seen before? Is it a compilation of all your favorite faces you've ever seen melded together? What about premonitions, when people dream things before they happen? What about lucid dreaming, where you are actually able to control what is happening because you are aware of the fact you are dreaming? Or dreaming about things that are totally impossible for humans to feel, like flying or transforming into another species. These are some ideas I would love to explore in this project. I want to create some kind of connection between the world of our dreams and the real world we live in, what influences us to have these dreams? Does the immersion into our dream worlds come with such a certain vividness and intensity, that we sometimes start to expect the real world to imitate it? James Cameron's completely immersive film "Avatar" may have been a little too real as many people experienced depression and even suicidal thoughts after seeing it, because they longed to enjoy the beauty of the alien world Pandora. Pandora is this pristine world and there is this synergy between all of the creatures of the planet, so perhaps it is that which strikes a deep chord within the viewers. James Cameron's dream is built out of the same things that other peoples' dreams are made of. It is pretty wild to think about, given that 'Avatar' is essentially a piece of art.
Now I am in no shape, way or form saying I am going to create anything remotely close to 'Avatar'. But in short, I want to create a hyper-real experience that stimulates the senses, a virtual reality or dreamscape in New York City. I would love for the project to end up being an interactive scrolling series, of photo manipulation, video, and sound. It would encompass my photography, typography, composition / layout, video, photo manipulation, editing, sound design and hopefully, some user interactivity (the most daunting part) And all shot here in New York City.
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