"Death and Attachment"
Performance Art by: Jerome Pompa
2021
Edited using: DaVinci Resolve & DataMosh
(Trigger Warning: Depression/S*icide)
The idea behind my work titled “Death and attachment” is how my identity and fears have evolved throughout my life. Having a troubled past but eventually reaching a point in my life where I am a better person but never forgetting what happened to me and what I did, because those events are what made me who I am today.
The blindfold symbolizes how I was blind to the fact that I am my own person, that I have the power to help myself be better. The distortion is a reminder of how my memories of being in a dark place is hazy and corrupted. A symbol of how my mind would process information and alter it into a negative light. The video clips of the past are showing moments before my spiral into depression and suicidal tendencies. Some clips even showing weeks before my admission to the psychiatric ward. The audio clip playing in the background is from J. Robert Oppenheimer’s when he was giving a speech about what he felt about the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan. His face emotionless, but his words and tone full of regret. Which mirrors what I felt throughout my journey. Losing friends, respect, confidence. That being said, the random bursts on the screen which shows text give a different meaning. I mentioned the Death Tarot card, which might be understood as a negative card. But in reality, the card means a rebirth, a closing of a chapter, a new door is opened. I am now able to form long lasting relationships and keep myself manageable and sane as opposed to my past. Philippians 2:20 was also flashed on the screen, and it read “I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare.” This might reference God, but for my beliefs, I believe that I am the God of my own body and mind. It was me who decided to turn my life around. It was me who decided I want to be better. And finally, the last part shows me taking off my blindfold, showing clarity and peace of mind, but the last distortion is a reminder that no matter how better of a person I become, those memories will still come back and remind me how I became who I am.
I believe this is relevant in this era because as the world is locked inside of our houses. We have time for self reflection and more chances for self improvement. We couldn’t stop and think, so the world stopped for us.
