This piece is informed by my grandmother’s progression into late stages of Alzheimer’s and subsequent loss of cognizance, mobility, and memory. I hope to relate my experience on the same drugs that attempt to salvage her mind. I was inadvertently given Alzheimer’s medication in 2006 which resulted in a slew of strange psychological effects ranging from confusion to distress to what I describe as psychological bloat. I want to connect, recollect and capture the sensations and texture of our experiences with mind/body disconnection.

I am interested in the different ways we broach the mind, body, and flesh dis/connections. I am also interested in the various ways we attempt to bridge these connections such as the Snoezelen, or controlled multisensory stimulation chamber. I think of this piece I hope to work on as similar to the Snoezelen in terms of fostering solace but taking on a very different form.

The piece would have an organic, visceral feel and would eventually function as part of a larger installation manifesting as an immersive, dreamlike space with the video component shifting from vivid nostalgic imagery to abstractions of form that pulsate, undulate and inundate.

Max/MSP would be utilized to change the speed and shape of the video elements as well as to incorporate sound. I am still sussing out how I think the Max/MSP elements would manifest.

Beware as neither one of us are video editors. We hope to obtain further Final Cut skills to eventually go back and clean up this piece substantially.

Without further ado….the video.