Tanya Davis and the collective team that came together to produce the accompanying video to her short poem, “Othering,” have laid down beautiful imagery and sound to create a coherent yet mysterious work that remains buzzing in your mind hours later.
The poem was written and voiced by Tanya Davis, whose work centers around our environment and our tattered relationship with it. Her words cut deep even though we know the truth of them.
“Othering” brings us face to face with the space we have created between ourselves and our natural world, but Davis’ sightline is a bit deeper and you can feel the accusation of our own personal hand in our planet’s destruction. We want more, “More, becomes More, becomes More, becomes More…” she tells us in an ever-spinning drop through gravity toward our own demise.
Cinematographers Oakar Myint and Millefiore Clarkes have created a visceral and powerful set of images and movements to carry the poem. Stark camera work feeling almost black and white except for the deep earth tones and visual cues of red berries and green leaves, the stop and go of this warning. The poet is seen in contrast to trees and darkness, the almost sinus rhythm of the blinking lights giving way to images of trees and leaves, split screen fractals creating a façade of two worlds, the one we think we know and the one that actually exists around us. Clarkes’ editing creating a powerful and beautiful balance between words and image, breath and color. It is two and a half minutes that grab you with force, and won’t let you look away, living inside your head and heart for some time after.
“Othering” is the first in a series of poems on the theme of climate change crafted by Davis during her artist residency for This Town is Small at Upstreet Brewery in Charlottetown, PEI.
“We spontaneously made a video of it after she spontaneously recorded it with musician Devon Ross. We hope to produce more videos to support her poems,” says Clarkes.