An Old and Lengthy Artist's Statement

Since writing this statement my work has taken different paths and progressed into something that has long been an underlying and somewhat pre-visualized aim that surfaced as almost a fantasy two years ago. To present this statement here gives me the chance to understand all the stages and processes that have informed my present work. I am someone who greatly values previous events and decisions, with the continuous creation of history presenting the chance to understand the whats, whys and therefores.

John Grierson, father of British and Canadian documentary film, said in 1970, "It was something altogether new to be looking at ordinary things as if they were extraordinary." This reference to the moving image as documentation relates closely to what using film first became for my artwork. To capture an experience, or capture time, and share it with an audience was the aim for each film I created. To construct a relatable world in which the viewer could draw references to within their own reality, highlighting aspects that are overlooked in the everyday. This basis of my investigation into the moving image has led me to look at how to use the aspects of the everyday in the creation of a fiction.

From using the alter-ego character Robinson, first seen in Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe (1917) and later Patrick Keiller's films Robinson in Space (1997) and London (1992), I began a quest unto using a script consisting of truth, facts and lies to step closer to a fiction. However, having explored the option of a script, eradicating the use of Robinson and a narration opened the possibilities of the content, context and path for fictional film work. Although narration may be an option for future experiments, the film work investigations I am currently exploring involve more personal camerawork; "Using first person in film is a sign of humility. All i have to offer is myself," Chris Maker, 1997. By placing myself in front of the camera I am able to visualize, plan and experience the actions first hand and, in watching them back, understand how they appear from the viewer's perspective.

The shots used in my most recent work are motivated by films such as Gus Van Sant's 2002 film Gerry, in which the camera subtly views the actions and decisions of the actors, helping to build the scene around them rather than continuously changing the placement of the camera. Investigating shot types, angles and movement is an underlying enquiry into creating a fiction. The subject of my films currently coincides with my research into psychogeography. The construction of a journey, whether it's from place to place or past to present, has provided a broad ground to explore possible fictional screenplays.

A condensed and much more relevant statement is on its way...