Project: Carmen

Remixing and Refabricating of Feminine Archetypal Qualities

Carmen is a self-reflective study that centres around seeking to deconstruct and reconstruct classical and technological qualities of the historical figure ‘Carmen’. In short, the project presents a mixed media account of an investigation and ‘remixing’ of the self aware (?) male gaze - presented through stages of digitization of the engergetic qualities of ‘Carmen’.

The Historical Figurative Qualities of Carmen

The 'Carmen Ecosystem' emerged from two research sources. French composer Georges Bizet's ‘Carmen’ and the 90s computer game 'Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego'. In both of these examples, the feminine is depicted as constantly in flux, uncontrollable, elusive, passionate, dangerous and mysterious.

When creating frameworks for designs to emerge, I find it helpful to use similar project development methodologies to UX design thinking. First and foremost, an identity or persona is extrapolated as symbolic aspects of the ecosystem it emerges from. Initially the ecosystem remains elusive, only identifiable as parts of an unrealised whole.

Docklands Exhibition of Carmen Prints

For site specific fabrication and installations of Carmen digital media designs I focused on aesthetic outcomes that maintained the integrity of core ecosystem concepts whilst pushing the technical interplay between fabrication (identity) and site specificity (environment).

Pictured below are partially transparent image prints (functioning similarly to stained glass) that act both as containers for the materialisation of the representations of Carmen, whilst also acting as a conduit for the surrounding environment to ‘pass through’ and merge with it’s defining and inherent qualities.

The alchemy of bridging ideas across digital and physical mediums whilst retaining focus & integrity of cultural identity is not just a question of automation & scalability. It is a process & practice of mindfulness & care.

XR Interactive Experience and Exhibition Design

Carmen digital media assets were developed into an XR/VR gallery experience.

The exhibition experience correlated and converged a proportionately accurate experience of the physical gallery space with the virtual experience of Carmen in digital place and space.

Behind the Mask

Essentially, modulating and adapting design assets, whilst staying true to principles and elements of the essence of Carmen, her unconventional nature becomes apparent through continuing to defy singularity of definition - various mediums becomes the designer thinking across and through agile practice. 

Below we see an example of modulated iterations of original Carmen video-mapping photo shoot, realised as abstracted ‘mask’ prototypes - the identity remains concealed and yet emerging from the practice are a multitude of faces.   

Mask designs emerge from reconstructing video footage stills:

All the above assets were then published with the Heard and Felt record company as an audiovisual release that included integrated thematic images, video and project based music productions that were created based on overarching project concepts.

The Cy Gorman AV design collection 'Carmen' was released internationally as a mixed media release & is available for download through www.heardandfelt.com

The Wilderness Society - Great Forest National Park Video Campaign

• Drone videography

• Drone photography

• Videography

The Wilderness Society - Call of the Kimberley

Independent Documentary (France) - "Leo" - Animal rights focus

The wilderness society - Toolangi State Forest - Educational Video

The Wilderness Society - Great Forest National Park - Fund Raising Campaign

Tokyo - ROPPONGI HILLS SKYDECK

Director of Photography/Image Post

Neon Meccha

Macro landscapes stitched together in horizontal pairs arranged in a vertical cascading web style. Images are multiple perspectives (Circumnavigating Ropponghi Hills 360 degrees Skydeck ).

PARIS

Director of Photography/Image Post/Sequencing

MONTMARTE MIRRORED

PARIS

Director of Photography/Image Post/Sequencing

LA LOUVRE

PARIS

Director of Photography/Image Post/Sequencing

MONTMARTE RUE RAMAY NARRATIVE

VALENCIA

Director of Photography/Image Post

SPANISH LANDSCAPES 1

Barcelona

Director of Photography/Image Post

QUEING FOR PICASSO MUSEUM IN ALLEY

LONDON

Director of Photography/Image Post/Sequencing

THE FAMILY SHARD

BERLIN

Director of Photography/Image Post

OLD SCHOOL AUGMENTED REALITY

BARCELONA

Director of Photography/Image Post/Sequencing

PICASSO ARTWORK REMIX

AMSTERDAM

Director of Photography/Image Post/Sequencing

AMSTERDAM METRO IN DEVELOPMENT

ANTIFRAGILE ARCHITECTURE

SE ASIA

Director of Photography/Image Post

COLOUR GRADIENTS & SILHOUETTES

FLOWERS & JEWELLERY

Director of Photography/Image Post

UNBRIDALED ENCHANTMENT

RACHEL LAURA GORMAN

FLOWERS & JEWELLERY

Director of Photography/Image Post

THE MODERN MAIDEN

RACHEL LAURA GORMAN

APPAREL

Concept & Creative Direction

Director of Photography/Image Post

ZERO GRAVITY DANCE

TETTMANN*DOUST

APPAREL

Director of Photography/Image Post

MISS BURLESQUE AUSTRALIA 

Zelia Rose

APPAREL

Director of Photography/Image Post

HOT CHILLS

REAH AND BROOKE

APPAREL & Music Video

Director of Photography/Image Post/Music Video

Latonya Styles &

Di Apprentice (R.I.P.)