I am currently formulating a proposal for a PhD in Practice by Film. This involves gathering together ideas/theories/practices white relate to aspects of my work – with the aim of (increasing) a context for my films.

There are several recurring themes in my stop-motion film work. I explore psychological states through body distortion and defamiliarisation, such as swelling, stretching, splitting, collapsing and becoming monstrous. This violence? To representations of the body is also applied to formal features of the film by eg. scratching off film emulsion, rapid cutting, amplifying audio disintegration.

The project I wish to develop at PCAD over the next few months continues themes of corporeality and female subjectivity – this time focusing on the ageing female body. I will explore ways in which stop motion filming can be used to convey a sense of arresting/accelerating/ delaying time and the ageing process. Through comic performance to camera, the unacceptability of female ageing as a form of excess is played out. This excess of female being connects with a tradition of female film-makers using animation to explore notions of monstrous femininity. One of these animators also happens to be a lecturer at PCAD so having the opportunity to be an 'artist in residence' at PCAD would be advantageous for several reasons: having access to 16mm film culture, access and contact with lecturers who I may want to interview about their work; access to research materials and access to traditional and new moving image media production. 

'Fixation'
image from film