As an imaginary space, Cryptomnesia is a metaphor for a state of mind
where cultural beliefs about the unconscious being a mere repository of
repression and unresolved fears are dispelled.
This digital space seeks to redress the cultural imbalance between inner
and outer experience, depicting the realm of the imagination as a land of
wonder and creation where all things are possible. It reflects both
microcosm and macrocosm, giving form and voice to rarely seen aspects of
the interior landscape of the mind.
The unique imagery in Cryptomnesia was sourced from a series of
automatic pen drawings produced over the past nine years. Drawing while
in a relaxed state of mind enabled archetypal imagery from the unconscious
to rise to the surface of consciousness and synthesize with emotive and
rational impressions of exterior reality. Cryptomnesia’s interface seeks to
depict this intersection as a landscape in constant flux, where interactions
between internal and external realities combine holistically, eliciting a
response of recognition in the viewer of their own connection to this
collective repository.
Animated using Macromedia Flash, Cryptomnesia is alive with the
potentialities inherent in the mysterious and seemingly inaccessible realms
of the psyche. The music, which was composed using Koan X and edited in
SoundForge, adds greater depth to the many mysterious creatures that
inhabit this imaginary space.
Funding
Category 1 - Australian Competitive Grants (this includes ARC, NHMRC)