Dream Stills ・夢であるもの
This exhibition was planned, directed, and designed by myself in September of 2021. I was lucky enough to have full creative control of the empty space in which the show was held for two weeks. Each piece was hand printed by myself, with framing by local framer Top Art in Kamakura.
Because of the ambiguity of the series, I wrote a collection of short poems to give the viewers a hint to the meaning of each piece. The poems were translated into Japanese by Ryotaro Fujita and printed and bound into a small booklet by myself. Each guest received a copy.
Statement
There is something about the dream state that is unique and yet not confined to our dreams. Deja vu, vague uneasiness, ominous atmospheres—these feel the same in our waking lives, drawing us to or away from people, things, and spaces, sometimes irresistibly and for unclear reasons. Are we fulfilling fate, following dark paths laid before us? Are these feelings guidance from our subconscious? Are we connecting with deeply-encoded DNA from our ancestors or previous lives?
'In sleep, fantasy takes the form of dreams. But in waking life, too, we continue to dream beneath the threshold of consciousness, especially when under the influence of repressed or other unconscious complexes.' - Carl Jung
During 2020-2021 a thread of listlessness connected us all, as life slowed down and we waited for normal to return. Possibly because of this, my experience navigating spaces began to shift. I became aware that my feelings when encountering the real world were not unlike those in my dreams, and the line between these realms began to blur.
'Quidquid luce fuit, tenebris agit [What goes on in the light, acts in the darkness], but the other way around as well. What we experience in a dream, provided we experience it frequently, finally is as much a part of the collective household of our souls as anything "truly" experienced.'- Friedrich Neitzsche
This series was slow and organic; all images were all made between 2020 and 2021, and the scenes are from places in Zushi, Hayama, and Kamakura. Everything represented in these images is meaningful to me, but I invite you to form your own interpretations based on your experiences—whether from your dreams or "real" life.
-Christian
