Fields of Origin – My Journey Towards Cybernetic Futures
The Birth of a Vision
Novel forms and ideas arise unexpectedly from unknown or previously unsuspected origin. Being new and full of mysterious possibilities, they could impact consciousness, nature and culture, similar to viral memes and bacteria. Their revolutionary traits may periodically pose a threat to the dominant order; hence, they get tracked down and uprooted to stop them from spreading. Yet, their point of origin, embedded in morphic fields, retains their memory and formula. Hidden within the recesses of space-time, they await for as long as it may take for a morphic resonance, a signal that will herald their next manifestation in nature.
Peak Moments
Maya Deren often quoted her father's saying that "The most important thing in the world is an idea." Where did my ideas come from? So far, from the casual habit of wandering and from a series of Peak Moments and altered states that have shaped my perception, leading to the vision of Cybernetic Futures that integrate the arts and education in theory and practice, along with technology, science, consciousness and spirituality.
My experience of creativity has always been associated with physical and mental wandering, day dreaming as a child has turned later on to interacting with streams of non-linear images and thoughts. I was, therefore, transfixed when I watched Maya Deren's films for the first time in 1990. They reflected the potentials of interweaving one's wanderings and conjuring fellow wanderers in a Universe bound by space-time. It was one of those peak moments, though it was preceded by other transformative moments, which I will unfold in this series of blog posts.
Creativity Riddles
The golden plover, depicted in the Fields of Origin poster, inspired the concept of The Guinness Book of Records as the faster game bird in Europe. It became associated with extraordinary achievements that exceed conventional capacities. The bird as a metaphor of unlimited abilities and flights of the imagination corresponds, in this visual depiction, with Hypnos' wings of the mind. The mythic generator of altered state of consciousness is syncretically positioned by a reference to a monolith (2001: Space Odyssey).
Under Apollo Moon
As a child of the 1960s/1970s, my gaze was diverted towards the moon and the cosmic arena. I followed Apollo missions with great enthusiasm. Venturing into space stood in great contrast to my situation but amplified my inner wanderings. Living in a dusty little town, with very little access to television, and without like-minded friends with whom to share my mental space-walks, I turned to writing. The result was epic tales told through the voices of a telepathic boy who makes contact with alien civilization, and a professional young man, an archeologist who discovers a pyramid with a secret in Egypt.
Moving Forward
I became seriously involved in the arts from the age of 20 and soon discovered that I am not destined to be a painter, despite some attempts and efforts. I was in the Middle East, and traumatic events stood in the way of my emergence as a young artist, constrained by cultural and political limitations. There was no Internet. Information was slow to arrive. I could sense a resonance, a non-local calling. I started to create multimedia performances and rituals which led to physical and mental attacks. I wasn't attacked or abused by a passing man or a boyfriend but by cultural figures with different political and religious agendas, art teachers and critics with a worldview that opposed mine. Still, my performances were raw, like raw DNA visions, and contained the building blocks of my current work. I therefore understand deeply the importance of learning and the need for learning through compassion.
Visionary Fields
The woman's selves offer the elixir of the soul in a ritual that activates odysseys in fields of photons, memory, and impulse. The jars are ancient but the liquid inside them evolves the structures of realities as the screens that bind them disintegrate. Free to flow everywhere, the cybernetic monoliths of evolution beckon in the field to the wanderers.
The journey continues in the next blog post, part 2. It will include texts and images from and about Dr Lila Moore's multimedia performances. Each blog post in this series will offer you more insight of her creative practice, theoretical writings and experience as educator/lecturer.
Credits:
Concept, text and visuals by Dr Lila Moore
Poster: concept & performance by Lila Moore, photography by Sally Faraj, graphic design by Alina Anca
Video by Lila Moore
Fields of Origin was exhibited at the Next Nature Poster Exhibition of Planetary Collegium and A Club of Plymouth University in 2015. The exhibition took place at the island of Kefalonia in Greece. See, here
