time to take a breather from darkness

In the vast subject of fear, there is an area where its not a fear that you have but one that's been devised for you. In this case it is my parents who fear that flowing water is dangerous for me, to the extent that they fear for my life. Being a person who's surrounded by his own anxieties this seems to me as an unimportant matter. However, with the long story behind this case I am interested in analysing a particular site in mind.

Greenwich Foot Tunnel:

The tunnel has been in the news for  while regarding "where the taxpayers money is being spent", "why has it been shut for so long" etc. but what I'm most interested in is this spooky article on the net i found.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/londons-greenwich-foot-tunnel-closed-after-reports-of-unusual-smell-8080979.html

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Inside_Greenwich_Foot_Tunnel.jpg

The Greenwhich foot tunnel is a pedestrian tunnel crossing beneath the River Thames in East London, linking Greenwich in the south with the Isle of Dogs to the north. The tunnel is currently open while refurbishment works contimue on the entrance shafts and domes. The works were due to be completed by june 2011, but delays mean that they are now scheduled to be complete sometime in 2012.

Ref: Wikipedia

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?um=1&hl=en&q=greenwich%20foot%20tunnel%20map&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bpcl=36601534&biw=2314&bih=1342&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=il

Happy Halloween

So it Halloween time and here I am confronting my fear of darkness. After reading up a few articles on how to confront your fears I decided to be super bold. Since this is a spatial design course my interest is not only analysing my fears but understanding it in a spatial context i.e how a space can affect a persons mind to bring out his/her inner most fears. To start of, in my case I decided to go face to face after reading about the flooding technique. Not a good plan..i'm still freaked out!

What I decided to do was put myself in the worst case scenario and film it. I tried to record and portray the tricks my mind plays on me when i'm in a dark space. Below is the result :

Personal Fears/Phobias

The above piece was a quick experiment I conducted after reading through different cures for my personal fear i.e. fear of darkness. I'm the sort of person who sleeps with a night lamp and turns the light on before entering a room. My inherent fear of darkness has messed a lot with my mind since childhood and I feel it is time I understand and work with it. In the above test, I locked myself outside  in the middle of the night with a mere two candles and decided to see how long I could survive in the space without freaking out. Although I was very familiar with the space as it's the garden attached to my flat I couldn't survive there for more than 5 mins. and it wasn't the cold weather to blame for it!

A breif intorduction to my Fear:

Nyctophobia, or fear of the dark, is one of the most common phobias in children. In many cases, childhood nyctophobia passes as the child matures. In older children and adults, however, nyctophobia can be crippling.
Nonetheless, most people retain a bit of fear of the dark throughout life. This fear may be evolutionary in nature, as many predators hunt at night. Consequently, darkness is a frequently used element in horror movies and halloween events.
For example, at Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror nights 2008, Nyctophobia is presented in a unique way.The event'd theme is phobias and in the presented scenario, a photographer fears not only the dark but the images that are captured in his camera flash. He is forced to confront the images he sees in a technique called " Total Immersive Phobia Exposure Therapy"

Symptoms:
If you have a phobia of the dark, you are likely to become nervous in any darkened environment  You may sleep with a nightlight. You might be reluctant to go out at night. You will experience an increased heart rate, sweat, shake and even feel ill when forced to spend time in the dark.
If your nyctophobia is severe, you may attempt to run away form dark rooms and avoid being outside at night. You might become angry or defensive if anyone tries to encourage you to spend time in the dark.

Treatments:
In the Halloween Horror Nights scenario mentioned above, the photographer is physically restrained and forced to confront the images in his camera's flash. This is an extreme interpretation of an actual phobia technique also known as flooding. However, a mental health professional would never restrain the client and force him or her to participate. The client remains in control during real life flooding sessions.
Treatment for nyctophobia is often drawn fro the cognitive-behavioural school of therapy. Anti-anxiety medications may also be prescribed. The goal of therapy is to challenge your fearful beliefs about the dark and help you replace negative self-talk with more positive messages.
ref:http://phobias.about.com/od/phobiaslist/a/nyctophobia.htm

A Philosophy of Fear

A Philosophy of Fear

by Lars Fr. H. Svendsen

Surveillance cameras. Airport security lines. Narred store windows. We see manifestations of societal fears everyday, and daily news reports on the lastest household danger or raised terror threat level continually stoke our sense of impending doom. In A Philosophy of Fear, Lars Svendsen now explores the underlying ideas and issues behind this powerful emotion, as he investigates how and why fear has insinuated itself into every aspect of modern life. 

Svendsen delves into science, politics, sociology, and literature to explore the nature of fear. He examines the biology behind the emotion, from the neuroscience underlying our "fight or flight" instinct to how fear induces us to take irrational actions in our attempts to minimize risk. The book then turns to the political and social realms, investigating the role of fear in the philosophies of Machiavelli and Hobbes, the rise of the modern "risk society," and how fear has eroded social trust. Entertainment such as the television show "Fear Factor," competition in extreme sports, and the political use of fear in the ongoing "War on Terror" all come under Svendsen's probing gaze, as he investigates whether we can ever disentangle ourselves from the continual state of alarm that defines our age.

Svendsen ultimately argues for the possibility of a brighter, less fearful future that is marked by a triumph of humanist optimism. An incisive and thought provoking meditation,A Philosophy of Fear pulls back the curtain that shrouds dangers imagined and real, forcing us to confront our fears and why we hold to them.

ref: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5800070-a-philosophy-of-fear

Tutorial analysis

An investigation into the subject of fear is much better than the film genre of horror. Furthering this project will be through means of analysing personal fears which I will transit into from horror, at a smooth pace. For now I am putting downs the examples discussed on the tutorial day.

A further talk into the subject of fear led to ideas of Fear and Glory.


a.) The swords of Qadisiyah, Baghdad:

The Arc of Triumph also called the Swords of Qadisiyah and Hands of Victory in some Western sources, are a pair of triumphal arches in central Baghdad, Iraq. Each arch consists of a pair of hands holding crossed swords. The two arches mark the two entrances to the great celebrations square and parade-ground constructed to commemorate the Iraqi victory over Iran in the Iran-Iraq war, led by then Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. The arches were opened to the public on August 8, 1989.
REF:Wikipedia

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Swords_of_qadisiyah.jpg

b.) Welthauptstadt Germania:

Welthauptstadt Germania("World Capital Germania") refers to the projected renewal of the German capital Berlin during the Nazi period, part of Adolf Hitler's vision for the future of Germany after the planned victory in World War II. Albert Speer, the "first architect of the Third Reich", produced many of the plans for the rebuilt city in his capacity as overseer of the project, only a small portion of which was realised between the years 1937-1943 when construction took place.
Some projects, such as the creation of a East-West city axis, which included broadening Charlottenburger Chaussee and placing the Berlin victory column in the center, far away from the Reichstag, where it originally stood, were successfully completed. Others, however, such as the creation of the Great Hall, had to be shelved owing to the beginning of war. A great number of the old buildings in many of the planned construction areas were, however, demolished before the war and eventually defeat stopped the plans.
REF:Wikipedia

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Bundesarchiv_Bild_146III-373%2C_Modell_der_Neugestaltung_Berlins_%28%22Germania%22%29.jpg

Installation

a.) Bill Viola:

What I like about the work here is the connection between two worlds and the space it was actually installed in.

Ocean without a shore, 2007

b.) Tony Oursler:

I like Tony's approach where everyday thing start talking. However looking at the below example it can be frightening.

Axe Head, 2008

c.) Tim Noble and Sue Webster:

I'm keen on this piece as it plays with shadows using rubbish.

    Dirty white trash(with gulls) 1998

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c6/Dirty_White_Trash_%28with_Gulls%29%2C_1998.jpg

Painting

a.) Giovanni Baglione - Sacred and Profane Love

I simply chose this painting for the play of light and shadows which creates so much depth. In simple terms Chiaroscuro. There is the aspect of a demon and angel but i'm more intrigued by the lighting.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Baglione.jpg

b.) Casper David Friedrich - The abbey in the oakwood

The reason I chose this painting is because of the fact that it relates to something I've recently seen that puts the dead with dying nature. I like the idea that the abbey is a deteriorated and the trees around are dead which makes the place a ruin. One can thus suggest that the space is abandoned. This dystopian image makes me think how easily one can forget. I'm also intrigued by the simple fact that even though some cemeteries can be extremely beautiful most paranormal/supernatural ideas are associated with that space. I saw something on the same lines in this painting which made me choose it.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/The_Abbey_in_the_Oakwood.jpg

Architectural sequence

a.) Navotas Cemetery, Manila, The Philippines.

For someone whose seen Alfred Hitchcock's - Rope. Having dinner over a dead body might be frighting till the movie ends. But imagine the lives of those who live with the dead. The following example is one of the most shocking things I've ever seen.

http://vimeo.com/33735037

  http://therecord.blogs.com/images/2008/10/index.html

b.) St. Pauls Cathedral, London, United kingdom

The Simple reason I've put this down is for two things. Firstly, my interest in faith and its effect on my subject of study i.e. horror; and secondly this is a good example of Baroque Architecture that I've personally visited. Designed by Christopher Wren the cathedral falls in the category of that design which was in many ways inspired from chiaroscuro. What I mean is the style was characterised by new explorations of form which dealt with light, shadows and dramatic intensity.

http://virtualpaulscrossproject.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/conference-on-pauls-cross-at-st-pauls_24.html

Interior of St. Pauls Cathedral looking towards the east. 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/St_Paul%27s_Cathedral_London02.jpg 

Book

a.) Jonathan Crary - Techniques of the observer

b.) Stephen King -1408 

Although I haven't read this book I have seen the film which was based on this novel. The reason I've mentioned this here is the fact that the film is based upon this one room in a hotel which is supposed to be haunted. It is something that is possessed within the room. As described in the movie, "living within the walls". The scenes shot and shown in the film definitely excite me to go forward and read the book. 

Film

a.) Stanley Kubrick - The Shining.

There are quiet a few interesting scenes in the film but the following is one of my favorites. The transformation of the space with all the blood is more horrifying than the part where you actually see the ghost making out with Jack Nicholson in room 237. My favourite dialogue from the movie was "Some places are like people, some shine, some don't !".

b.) Alfred Hitchcock - Psycho.

The famous shower scene in this film sends more chills through ones body as the camera drives around the space like a third person. Even though the room is empty after the murder the viewer almost becomes a part of the space which is why I find it more frightening than the shower scene in The Shining.




c.) Stanley Kubrick - Barry Lyndon.

This film doesn't necessarily relate to what my interest lies in but i liked the effort where natural lighting conditions and candle light have been used for most of the shots. It is also a good example of Chiaroscuro. I'm curious to test this in a film which has a horror theme.

Word exercise

In order to help with the introductory project we were asked to write down  6 words that help describe our research question.
My interest closely deals with the subject of  'Horror'. I'm interested in exploring how a space can evoke the feeling of fear or horror in the viewers mind.  I'm keen to see what effect does faith have in this context. The following image was the result of the word exercise :

With the help of the above words I found some work that would help clarify my own interest and complete the introductory project.

1. Film:

  a.) The Shining (1980) - Stanley Kubrick.
  b.) Psycho (1960) - Alfred Hitchcock.
  c.) Barry Lyndon (1975) - Stanley Kubrick.

2. Book:

  a.) Jonathan Crary - Techniques of the observer.
  b.) Stephen King - 1408

3. Architectural sequence

  a.) St. Pauls Cathedral, London, United Kingdom.
  b.) Navotas Cemetery, Manila, The Philippines.

4. Painting:

  a.) Giovanni Baglione - sacred and profane love (1602-1603).

  b.) Casper David Friedrich - The abbey in the oakwood (1808-1810).


5. Installation

  a.) Tony oursler.
  b.) Bill Viola.
  c.) Tim Noble and Sue Webster

Introductory project brief

Introduction

This opening exercise will run from Weeks 1-7. It is aimed to clarify the individual research question that you bring to the MA; as such, it is a means to help you evolve your research concerns through the making of a spatial proposal. This work will form the basis for developing your major project which is to be presented at the end of the course. The introductory exercise will investigate the relationship between space and its representation, and is to be presented in a way that juxtaposes two and three-dimensional means of representation.

The references

You will begin the exercise by making a relation between your research concerns and a series of spatial sequences by other artists, architects, designer and filmmakers. These points of reference are to be presented to the group. You will need to articulate how the sequences have particular relevance to your research concerns; the sequences need to be carefully selected and argued for. The sequences should comprise:

1.     A short (4 minutes maximum) spatial sequence taken from a film of your choice, presented either in dvd format or as a series of film stills.

2.     An extract describing a spatial sequence from a novel or other book of your choice, 500 words maximum.

3.     An architectural sequence from a building you have visited, presented in image and/or drawn form.

4.      A painting, abstract or figurative, that you feel establishes a relationship between the spectator and the virtual space of the painting.

5.     A spatial sequence from a piece of sculpture or installation art.

The spatial sequences do not have to be very long – they could describe a single transition between two adjacent spaces. But there has to be some kind of narrative concern underlying the references selected. You will then develop the proposal through analysis and interpretation, extracting the underlying themes that tie the disparate material together. You must be able to communicate how the sequences might inform your subsequent project.

The exercise

Using the above material, you will develop a spatial sequence of your own that is capable of materializing and communicating your research concerns. This can be in the form of architecture, object, furniture, installation or film – or hybrids between these outcomes. You are asked to combine two and/or three-dimensional ways of representing this sequence, such as by juxtaposing object/film, model/drawing, object/drawing, film/drawing, painting/object, painting/film. The idea is that these are small-scale proposals, which are not heavily workshop dependent, and can be constructed largely in the studio. Any moving image should ideally be incorporated in laptop or monitor form, although it may be possible to use projection. We do not have space at this point for large-scale installations, so the issue of scale has to be thought of creatively, as part of the proposal. The idea is to inventively link your spatial and research concerns. The physical outcome should be accompanied by a 300 word text that describes the spatial sequence your proposal presents.

Year 5, Day 1:

I have constantly engaged myself in a personal plan of self-development but most importantly I have spent the last five years of my life living, learning and understanding the realms of the design industry, in London. Beginning with a Foundation Degree in Art and Design, I graduated from Chelsea College of Art & Design in 2012 with a BA (Hons) in the subject of Interior And Spatial Design.

In this journey I was taught many skills, which at start, were the basics but developed into specialised practices based on the areas I was keen on exploring.

From the start of the work, which involved a lot of research, experimentation, observations and analysis to the very end, which focused on the outcome, I’ve enjoyed and spent time learning and defining my work through different mediums. Skills like photography and videography have been my strongest support throughout.

My core interest lies in study of light, shadows, kinetics, film and technology. On the MA, I wish to explore spaces; with the skills that I have but most importantly discover new ones. I am here to add a sense uniqueness to my work. It’s a challenge that I’ve set myself and to end things here all I’d say is “Challenge accepted!”