Process Piece

When our group decided we wanted to represent the process
of falling asleep, there were immediate challenges. Most obviously, sleep is
problematic because it is not a noisy process. The idea of communicating
restlessness with sound was challenging to us. We decided to use rustling,
irregular breathing and distorting time to communicate the inability to fall
asleep. Having looked at the project holistically, context seems to render the
early material virtually intelligible.  

We also decided to depict the act of falling asleep in a
surreal manner. This is entirely formed by the process of going to sleep. As
the mind relaxes, what neuroscientists call alpha waves begin to manifest in
the brain at high levels. Once these waves become predominantly what are called
beta waves, the body is asleep. However, there is no sharp demarcation between
the two types of wave. So as our minds go to sleep, consciousness is mixed with
unconsciousness. Thus, we experience a state where rationality mingles with
dream logic. Additions like the hypnotist could be external, or it could just
be a sort of proto-dream sequence.  

Of Broderick Fox’s modes of documentary, the piece our
group made is most reminiscent of observational, performative, and poetic. In a
sense, this is an observation of sleep, however, instead of being scientific,
it takes artistic liberties. That the piece takes such liberties is what ties
it to the performative and the poetic forms. For example, with the absence of
any imagery, much of the material in this process piece is left up for
interpretation. The listener is more or less unaware when the subject is
actually asleep, therefore one is not able to discern what is reality or simply
a pigment of the subject's imagination. We decided to approach this topic with
these artistic liberties, because often when one is falling asleep or
attempting to sleep, it is hard to tell the difference between reality and the
dream world.

Arguably the most essential element of this documentation
is the guitar. We decided to use the guitar as a representation of what the
subject was thinking. The chords begin when the subject coughed, this was
intended to be some sort of starting point for his thoughts, it is when the
subject is finally at rest and is able to let his mind wander. Other than the
starting point, how we structured the guitar, is left open to interpretation.
It is also applicable to all people because it has no words, therefore anyone
can decide what the guitar chords mean to them.