Sad and dreamy there : exploring nostalgia, narrative, and family histories through experimental video : an exegesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the postgraduate degree of Master of Fine Arts at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand

Abstract

My video-based practice, incorporating collage, voice, and manipulated sound, explores the ambiguities found among aspects of family histories, memory, nostalgia, and self-created narratives. My moving image artwork Glocca Morra (How Are Things In?) uses my late father’s journal as a jumping off point to create a series of interconnected short films incorporating both family and historical photos, along with images created using Artificial Intelligence (AI) engines such as DALL-E. The sound includes cloning of my father’s voice through the AI engine at Eleven Labs. Combining the authentic and the inauthentic, history and falsehood, I am evoking an interior psychological space where memories are faulty or even wholly invented. At the same time, I am addressing current anxieties around AI's assault on factual information and truth itself, as well as on human endeavor, by exploring its weaknesses. Finally, I use my love of surrealist art and experimental film, along with humour, to create a disarmingly engaging space for the viewer.