Flaming Stardust, 2020
single channel video with stereo sound
Flaming Stardust is the first video in a new series intended to assist a person negotiating a physical or mental trauma. This particular video is an attempt to craft a work that might be viewed by someone on their deathbed. This iteration is directed at myself as I consider what I’d want to have envelop me as I died. The video is lush and at times psychedelic, following the seductive curves of a mirrored mylar weaving draped on a green grape arbor wet with dew. An ethereal voice gently sings the song Stardust a cappella as the video morphs into a euphoric glittering climax. There is no obvious literal narrative, though imagery of the grapes rotting on the vine and fragmented trees may evoke a sense of beautiful decay. Underneath the hypnotic visuals is a passage from life to ecstatic death.