User:Ruben/RWRM/2 - Inspiration

De Stikvallei is a book by Frank Westerman. In 1986 all life, including 1700 people, died overnight in the valley of Lake Nyos in Cameroon. While describing his report on this mysterious tragedy, Westerman researches how myths arise. He does that by distinguishing between myth breakers (scientists), myth bringers (evangelists) and myth makers (local people/society).

In 1993 Jeff Wall constructed A sudden gush of wind. A photographic remake of a 1832 painting by Hokusai depicting how a gush of wind catches several people of guard. A woman loses her paperwork while her scarf is blown in her face. A man loses his hat. It looks to be an impressive single photograph, but actually this scene is a collage of several carefully take images. The final image is placed in a light box, which elevates the composition as it gives the (to the eye) realistic photo, a magical touch.

Du Levande is a Swedish film by Roy Andersson. In several sketches we see everyday life, with it’s everyday annoyances and everyday dreams. The enlarging of these scenes, combined with theatrical looking sets, provide a form of surrealism. This combination not only emphasize the sadness of the scenes, but also evokes sympathy with the characters. By excavating the beauty in sadness, it celebrates the pointlessness of everyday life.

It is hard to describe the common denominator of these works in one sentence. What does stand out for me though, is that all three works consist of - or talk about - the combination of various elements (stories, images) into one. The elements on their own show nothing more than an everyday scene. But by combining them and placing them on a pedestal, they get something esoteric. They become spiritual. They get a 'meaning'. They tell a story.

It seems that people long for these stories or myths. They can relate to them, as they are grounded in their common/trivial lives, while they simultaneously show that there is more to their lives than the banalities of the common.