When I was a child I used to close my hands into fists, and press them firmly over my eyes. Behind closed eyelids I would watch the traces and residue of light, which would begin to dissipate until other nebulous visions appeared. The more I practiced I learned to form these vague blurs into clear shapes and distinct images by focusing on the brightest speckles; growing them to cover my field of closed-eye vision. I eventually learned how to integrate color into these compositions after long durations as well. Even today I often think phosphenes are the visual matter dreams are made from--in the same manner emulsion sits on a film base--yet somehow it becomes more vivid in lucid states of consciousness.

This video is a collected mix of various light work I have done in the last two years--containing clips of at-home filmed experiments and live installations created for Progressive Galleries and Moviate public events. All event footage was recorded in the Cathedral Room of the Maennerchor in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The prism burst at the end is a segment from Locking Gazes, a film I've been working on for the last year or so.

Credits-

Music: Alyx Bowen
Stills: Matt Eggsware & Gretchen Smith
Video: Caleb Smith
Super 8: James Hollenbaugh & Michael Robinson

moviate.org
progressivegalleries.com
themaennerchor.com
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphene