documentary films on the creative arts

James Bonnici : In-between Space

Synopsis:

“Through portraiture and landscape, my work explores how distortion, blurriness, light and space may be used to depict psychological states, perceptions and how we experience our physical reality. Painting and drawing from photographs taken with my phone camera allows me to interpret my immediate surroundings and subjects that are close to me.

The portraits of heads in motion capture a number of moments not ordinarily perceptible. They give us a glimpse of the in-between and what lies beneath the surface. Distortion is created through the representation of subjects in motion, hinting at the subjects’ psychological state. Painting the motion blur materialises the distortion created by the camera, transforming the movement into fleshy, sculptural vessels of contortion, while the darker tones of the drawings seek to heighten the underlying anguish.

These approaches draw on the disturbing, grotesque elements of the initial subject in order to accentuate the obscure within the psyche. Contrasting with the moving heads are the representations of static environments that we occupy and move through everyday: backyards with high fences, bleak buildings and fluorescent interiors.

By using awkward angles and rendering these environments with a minimal palette (as if through a filter), there is the attempt to heighten the unsettling and claustrophobic atmosphere of these spaces.

While these confined spaces may be perceived as oppressive, the final imagery of each piece aims to display a hidden beauty within: one that shows stillness, silence and a contemplative nature.”