She Had to Put in Contact Lenses to Think.
It started with a misheard conversation on a collaborative project. There were five artists, countless community workshops and consultations, many trips away from home staying in budget accommodation, sharing sleeping quarters, sometimes four to a room…
Every waking moment consumed by “The Project”. In tropical Northern Australian heat: Broome, Port Hedland, Roebourne, Cossack, Thursday Island, Townsville and Cairns.
During a late night meeting, with wine to combine the relaxation with working in order to maximise efficiency, at one point there was a misheard conversation.
As the principal dancer put in her contact lenses, Mayu Kanamori remarked
“She has to put in contact lenses to think”.
Well, that is what Vic McEwan heard.
They laughed about the mishearing, the miscommunication, the gift of laughter and new thought given by the incorrect taking in of information.
Vic wrote in his notebook “One day, make a project with Mayu called “She Has To Put In Contact Lenses to Think” Make it fun, make it experimental, make it whatever you want. Make it devoid of community concerns. Make it for yourselves”.
So, towards this end, Vic McEwan wrote music and a verbal narrative, a story, a trip through melancholia and reflection: A journey about the misrepresentations that we allow to happen.
The misrepresentations we make to ourselves about what is around us in order to convince ourselves that all is great, when really….....
It is about the reframing of things and letting go, about stopping trying to define things and just letting them be.
The work is entitled “She Has To Put In Contact Lenses To Think”
It is a video work of approximately 4 minutes length.
It is Mayu Kanamori’s response to Vic McEwans story.
It is presented as a self-contained video piece with pictures, words and music.