My current fasinating project about Art, Identity and relationship:

 "WHO IS ESUS?" 

A mocumentary about the artist Esus and his hide out in Wild West Cork (an installation of my work) as a backdrop.

A discovery of self as the artist:  storyteller, creator of creation and concepts. Detached from any particular identity or ego. Experiencing aspects of Esus through the various characters and their reaction/interaction with the art objects and environment. Exploring the relationship between nature and humans; the artist merges with the elements/life force and serves as a bridge between the two thus becomes elevated to a demi -god, angel, and mythological creature.

More simply: An introspection of human who seeks to be/is the master of his universe in the 21st century, using the fictional and elusive artist: "Esus". This format enables me a way to separate all the aspects represented both in the art objects and in the various personality(ies). It is a way of exploring the different qualities/faucets of the human as an artist/creator/storyteller. Examining the ideas of reflection, perception and manifestation of ones dreams. The subtext also examines art as valuable object v.s worthless junk and indirectly gives commentary on the consumer society in which we live; questioning: What is success and what gives value?  Bringing to light how the various characters perceive their environment/object and Esus himself thus highlighting how our perception alters our experience.

The Artist as voyeur, looking through the glass and using the imagination to examine the creations of "Esus";  mythological creature? human?  God? Artist? Angel?  Man? Woman? Child? Magician? Fantasy? Loser?  Trickster? 

The artist portrayed as several persona still under development so names may change :

• Bridget Mac: a child - a sweet dreamy innocent girl who's imagination created "Esus",
• Roger Bunker "Esus" A talented/arrogant conman/salesman, Artist. has aspects of apollo
• Debbie Sapp "Esus" An inspired revolutionary dyke, artist, has aspects of the huntress Diana
• Phlina Couche "Artymous" A sensual french street performer dancer and Artist. also a mutant rat/superhero with special powers and a total trust in love. She was the first to capture the idea /concept of love notes that the Queen of hearts spent her life promoting. Muse and lover of Roger. attributed to making the heart paintings, fannies and paintings inside the body.

                                                                         

Other Esus characters are:

• Esus as a blue angel
• Esus as God- the regulator of the flow of love
• The Queen of Hearts. a powerful matriarch. It has been suggested that she is Esus. She claims to be a benefactor of Esus and her currency in the love note. She secretly wants to be Artymous.
• The King of Spades. A man who has no concept of art or aesthetics,  dismisses Esus and Esus's Art but if it can make money from it he's all for it. He may be jealous of him because his wife admires Esus. He can not however help but love the Queen of Hearts. His love for her drives him crazy (because she is so different from him i.e un-materialistic yet having an appreciation and eye for all things beautiful) but she is also the potential catalyst of his evolution.

Other supporting characters are:                                                 

• Camillia Evergreen, Roger's granny who raised him. a bible fearing, soft, 'fluffy" old lady who like her cakes. She always thought Roger would do well.  "he was very bright, we had high hopes for him but  perhaps he was a bit odd" . She didnt understand what happened to him and how he became "Esus"
• Dr. Karlmillions  Professor of anthropology and art history. A quirky excited German scholar give his analysis of the evidence of Esus.

I am also considering:

• Bridget Mac's neurotic and concerned mother
• Rogers' gangster buddy. 
• The spirit of the Artist's dead older sister

And further small part characters who will make brief appearances are:

• cowboy 
• hippy, 
• witch
• clown
• tramp
• bimbo
• alien
• official of some sort.  

The project is being developed in three stages:

1. Currently I am making short video clips creating profiles of each character using myself as the actress and costumes available in the shed. The final product will be a short 10 min film using the shed installation and my art as the backdrop. I am not certain if I will be all the characters or if I will end up using actors to play some or all of the parts.  Some clips will be solely of the shed (art installation) both during the day and at night and backed by enhanced with innovative/ avant guarde music.  The end product, a short video mockumentary" Who is Esus" I  will put up on the internet and my blog-spot to help promote my art installation, street exhibition and interactive performances.
2. The first exhibition and public viewing is entitled: "Break in" The imaginings of a Wild West Cork Artist: Come to Esus's hideout and mysterious menagerie of all things weird and wonderful in the magical West Cork paradise of An Sanctoir. This will include the installation as promoted in video. Characters featured may or may not be present. Use of surrounding land may be included, walking the land encouraged.  viewings as well as a tour of An Sanctoir can be made by appointment. An Opening on Thursday June 21 will start in the afternoon and carry on until the evening into the night. The exhibition will be open for viewings by appointment otherwise drop ins welcome on Monday and Thurs from 12-2 until July 21. Donations to the Artist gratefully accepted.
3. While this is going on I will continue to seek exhibition space in Cork City centre, Cork being the first port of call as it is the closest city to the shed. I am looking for an empty building shop/apartment. Buildings with historic or unusual character preferred. 1500 sq feet - 500 sq feet. The venue will determine how the installation is re-created. I do however have definite ideas on how to enhance and develop the project.            
   

Some of the ideas are thus:

• Entrance Hall draped with elasticated, see-through red material with framed paintings of the inner body series on the walls lit with fairy lights. A sign saying " Welcome to my heart" 
• A Shop selling mock items of Esus's consumer products; literally rubbish made into art and having cleverly displayed to show both it's value and it's questionable worth.  
• A living room with the theme of play filled with Esus's interactive sculptures, game-boards and "toys" . A big T.V playing black and white B flicks.
•  a kitchen featuring the grandmother of Esus's cooking (fake foam props) doughnuts, sandwiches, cookies, cakes and odd kitchen items.
• a bedroom full of clocks and some of the more dream like paintings like "lightening" and panels " the last of the precious brown" and "Bidget"/ "Doorway to heaven". Using branches giving the impression that the room can actually transform into a night forest. Portrait of the giraffe man (a dream character),The Fanny dancer paintings.
• a chapel/holy room featuring the paintings by Esus; An Assortment of Icons: three angels, three Sheela Na Gigs,  and a triptec  the triple goddess: maiden, mother, crone.
• There are also other paintings and panels which could be shown in the shop section. 
• One large landscape painting with mock gold frame '"The day the Sun fell to the Sea' would be best in a posh parlour.
• If a shop window were present the sculpture "our PLANet / The myths of man" lit by LED lights and rotating slowly.
• Dragon could be placed on a small room or basement and lit with LED lights
• a closet would have a selection of outfits from various characters.
• The bathroom would have a theme of both body awareness, smells and self refection using mirrors