“REM” is an abbreviation for Rapid Eye Movement, one of the key
stages in the sleep cycle. It is a period of light sleep, a time
between deep sleep and waking up. Indeed, during
REM-sleep, the activity of the brain's neurons is quite similar to
that during waking hours. For
this reason, it may be called “paradoxical sleep” and is the time when
we are most likely to
recollect our dreams.
The phenomenon
of REM is captured by five series of photographs and these are
described below. All of the
photographs are essentially documentary in style.
It should be noted that
REM is also of course the name of a rock group.
While this project is not explicitly related to this, homage is
paid through the title of one photograph: “Shiny, happy people”.
1.
Reality check
Twenty black and white photographs are presented which depict people
dressed strangely, caught in bizarre situations or carrying out odd
activities. These events could
easily be stuff of dreams, active imagination and fantasy but are not;
they lie
firmly in
reality. They could be
considered as examples of the dream/reality paradox.
2. Eden
“The Garden of Eden” is considered the “Garden of
God” and the term “Eden” is thought to derive from the ancient words
for “delight”, “lush” and “abundant”.
The series of twenty photographs is designed to reflect the
concept of dreaming about
“beauty”, or living in this “paradise”, using picturesque examples from
the natural and the man-made world.
A sense of irony is presented in the photograph of the busy,
traffic-lined Champs-Elysees in Paris.
This is far from the peaceful connotations
of the
Greek mythology meaning of
Champs-Elysees (Elysian Fields), which is the abode of the blessed after
death.
3. Nightmare
Ghouls,
ghosts, skeletons, death and terrifying beasts are depicted in twenty
“horrific” photographs.
4. Flashback
Dreams are often recalled as single events or images. Some images linger,
dominate and repeat, while others are transient, providing fleeting
memories. Sometimes these
“flashbacks” are brought together to form strange narratives..
From the dawn
of
mankind, trying to make sense of these dreams and flashbacks has
preoccupied many a learned scholar and just as many charlatans.
Thirty photographs try to illustrate this dilemma of
rationalization. Each
photograph is essentially random and singular in nature, being able to
be considered on its own merits without context.
However, loose associations could be made, e.g, the reflection
of the poster of Marilyn Monroe, the sculpture of the big lips and the
sculpture of the heart could represent the concept of desire or love.
A further example is the retail sculpture of the large ice
cream, the cow eating an ice cream, the colourful spades and the
seagull which could conjure up memories of a holiday by the sea.
5.
“Wonderwall”
Graffiti,
wall art, posters, shop frontages and advertising boards serve a range
of purposes. They may allow an
individual to vent anger and frustration, they may entice customers
for commercial gain or they may provide a vehicle for artistic
expression. In almost all
cases, they represent a dream for the future: political change,
recognition, self-satisfaction and financial security. The term “Wonderwall”,
the title of the song by the rock group Oasis, seems highly
appropriate to sum up these desires, all of which are based on
representations in 2D media.
Ten montages of photographs are presented, each of which is grouped
according to a particle theme.
The themes range from the nature of the subject matter depicted, e.g.
faces, fantasy or animals, to the nature of the image-making, e.g.
sticker graffiti or advertising boards.
The use of montages was chosen to show the diversity of
thoughts that exist. The
individual photographs were taken in a large number of places:
Newcastle, Exeter, Cambridge, Paris to name a few.
This demonstrates the pluralistic nature of the use of graffiti
etc. as a form of expression.
All photographs were taken with digital cameras and
processed digitally.
Click here or on REM 2012 on the left hand side
of the screen to see the photographs.