| | "The idea behind the imagery of Decasia is one I have dealt with in virtually all of my work to date. It deals with taking the two formal elements of film - the image and the material it is printed on - and assigning to them our own dualism of mind and body. "The images can be thought of as desires or memories: actions that take place in the mind. The acetate and emulsion of the filmstock can be thought of as the body. It enables these visions to be seen, but only for a limited time. “Decasia” can roughly be described as a portrait of humanity using decay, our battle with time, as its common language.
"There is the introductory shot of the “man spinning time”, followed by the the mechanized wheels of the film lab, which sets up the first truly deteriorated shot, a Japanese Tea Ceremony. From this ceremony comes a dream of the world: the sea and the earth are formed, followed by water sculpting the earth. Life takes shape, and migrates. Civilization is born and industry is created. Modern man is pulled from his mother’s womb, and cinema is born. Man is pitted against his own mortality: daredevils, religious zealots, athletes, and explorers show us trying to master the elements, or defy gravity, or reach a higher spiritual plane. These are acts of will, which define us both heroically and tragically.
" The counterpoint to these images is that they are printed on a fragile and ephemeral medium, which can deteriorate in countless ways. The images deform and coalesce throughout the length of the film, appearing to melt, burn, drip or tear away from the base. This is a natural phenomenon. I chose only those images where this deterioration had happened over time, while stored in archives. I did nothing to accelerate the process. Like the film, our bodies will eventually be reduced to what essentially forms us. We, our desires and memories, will be reprised as something new, and hopefully, more lasting." |
