The Artist Explains: Age is a Box - 'Har / Mountain'
Age is a Box speaks to us about collaborating with London based motion artist Gabriel Thomas Ayache on his stunning 3d animated visuals for ‘Har' / Mountain,’; a journey of self-reflection, and re-connection with the elements of nature through various carefully composed Land Art pieces.
Where was the video for 'Har / Mountain' filmed?
The video is a 3d animation, it wasn't filmed anywhere. Gabriel created a whole world that we designed and developed from our imagination, some references of beautiful landscapes and nature art made digital. There are some textures of planets like Mars or our moon and gradients inspired by Saturn's ring.
How does the video connect with the song?
The song was written in the Mountains of north India and comes to voice the feeling of being in another dimension, where time passes differently and where connecting to the power of nature while letting alternative forces direct you intuitively, is possible. Stepping away from the mundane city life and informally shifting into serenity, when both the body and metaphysical self, the mind, can calmly merge.
The Video reflects this calm narrative poem and takes the viewer through a ballade in the minimal landscapes.
Do you have any behind the scenes stories you could share with us?
The whole video was made in long-distance communication; Gabriel lives in London and Noam (Age is a Box) lives in Tel Aviv. Behind the scene, there were lots of video chats, emails, references and inspirations sent across. Hundreds of little previews edits and tens of animated work in progress, some weird failed simulations and unused material. The first animations were sent pre-render and were looking like old school computer games, a bit like "Golden Axe" but gradually, the renders replaced the temporary 'playblasts' to a finished look and then the compositing and colour grade polished each scene to perfection unbelievably coming to a satisfying end result.
Gabriel also had his first child about 4 months ago, he had to take his computer out of the house to a nearby shared desk space.
In a project that takes this long, (about a year and a half at least) things happen, there are stories, lots of them.
Noam is now touring with his band, in Berlin at the moment and Gabriel is in Barcelona for a few months.
Could you tell us about the ideas/ themes/ imagery used?
The visuals explore perception and awareness as relative concepts. The way we perceive big and small, macro and micro, intelligible forms and emptiness, all from our very human disposition. We ask to reconnect with nature and to minimalism through various carefully composed land art pieces. We explore physical attributes found on earth like gravity and wind. We also echo wonderful man-made structured materials and artefacts like fabrics or Cairns. The colours are portraying the different moods of the elements and carry the viewer through various emotions, each connecting to one colour more than the others. the monks' figures spark a connection with our silhouette. They help us follow the narrative and express this spiritual alternative way of living in a perceivable light.
Is there a message the video is trying to convey?
We tell a simple, rather loose story about a journey back to the source and the completion of a cycle.
Our modern life is based mainly on doing, measuring and comparing, attaining.
Although our perception is based on our own individual reality, we sometimes tend to emphasize the 'big', the less important or less emotionally binding or constructive way.
On the other hand, we can sometimes miss tiny gestures and things which are beautifully 'small' but deep in meaning, filled with wisdom, all just because we're in a rush for the next thing.
This video comes to encourage patience, breathing, meditation. Respect for nature and our surroundings. It also comes to remind us that every little stone is a complete life story and that the world inside us is as big as the world outside ourselves.
Everything connects.
It ends where it started.
We are all part of the cosmos.
Interview by Karla Harris