For me, involvement in the Earthwaves Partnership signifies a shift into new and exciting territory, the culmination of all I have learned and experienced so far being channelled into new realms.
My twin artistic passions – the static/moving image and music/sound were fostered early in life. I obsessively pursued these creative avenues though use of the technology available to me as a youth; analogue tape recorders, Super 8 film and a polaroid camera. Even from that young age I was fascinated how the mediums could be manipulated and I grew adept at sound editing and mixing, and created animation and visual experiments with photography and film.
The advent of video, particularly digital video, allowed me to channel all that I had taught myself as a young man into new ideas, to experiment further with all the capabilities that the advanced technology offered. Primarily the works I created were abstract and surreal, meditating on the pure shapes, colours and audio effects combined. My talents were later engaged by voluntary organisations and theatre groups to promote works and provide moving backdrops for productions – from there the shift moved to more narrative forms.
The introduction to Tantra in my early forties heralded a major transformation in my life and work. It shifted my mindset from a slight interest in spirituality to a much higher level and introduced me to life-changing concepts. As well as this, Tantra brought me into the circle of the artist Mike Paul whose work I admired. Our ideas resonated and developed and we envisioned the genesis of collaborative projects that would combine both our areas of expertise into something new and exciting: Earthwaves was born.
Experience through Tantra has also provided me with the impetus to branch into new areas to complement my love of all things audio; sound therapy and sound healing. My recent intensive course with BAST (British Academy of Sound Therapy) has provided me with invaluable insights into how sound works therapeutically, emotionally and spiritually, and equipped me with a new range of sonic tools to further my investigations into the boundless sea of sound. These of course will also be incorporated into Earthwaves projects.
All that I have experienced, all that I have learned in my fifty years – image, sound, presentation, spirituality – will find expression in the Earthwaves collaborative works, through the creative combination of the physical and sensual with the ethereal and intangible.
Inspiring new realms await.