Melancholic

Definition of melancholy

1a: suggestive or expressive of sadness or depression of mind or spirit //sang in a melancholy voice.

This exhibition, which is called Melancholic, depicts memories in the form of ghosts and place. Inspired by Spirit Photography which emerged in the 1860’s, when photographer William Mumler manipulated photographs to create the impressions of ghosts for people who had lost a loved one, and by accompanying images with sound, I have created pieces in which each scene invokes a memory. With the use of sound, I wish to distort these images, each song changing the way in which the images are viewed. Sounds from the natural environment, such as birdsong and wind can be heard, along with string music and various types of piano song I have created myself. Each image contains a scene in which a spectre appears in it, representing a memory. The images used are personal photographs of family members who have since passed and places of my own memory that I associate with them. The music I have created has been inspired by these people and by personal events and moments that are engraved in my memory. Through these works, I wish to invoke a different view and feeling in everyone that views it, whether it be something familiar or something rather foreign to them by viewing each image with different sounds. The pieces also invoke a sense of fear and uncertainty, with different references to the paranormal throughout the work and the use of music which challenges the title of the exhibition.