Heather Dalton
Photographer/Artist
Being Holy. – Dreaming Religion.
Last night, as a Catholic I took it upon myself to read some of the Bible. For whatever reason, I ended up reading the book of Ruth and then the Book of David. Whilst I was reading about Nebudchadnezzar’s Dream (the one which David translated) I remembered a dream that I had a few nights ago. It was extraoridinarily vivid.
In the dream I was one of three blue demons that lived in the trees. Our appearance was across between a Garuda and a Christain Demon. We had wings and three claw talons, our eyes were yellow, but turned red. And the appearance of the world was that of a 17th century drawing.
(The image above is my best rendition – although I am sure it is not quite right.)
In the dream there was a man who was the son of the reicarnated devil, and he was being cast in bronze while he was still alive. It was punishment for being who he was, he was to be forever remembered cast within his own statue. He was dressed in the bishops garments and there was a hunched man with a curved saw who cut his feet from his ankles. The bronze was hot like the light of the Gods and poured from a ladel and into a mould. We flew over the village to watch and at the edge turned into a light like the Gods and walked through the streets in a heavy cloaks with the other demons. None could see our faces – hidden by the hoods. But when the Gods saw us walking among the mortals they also decended from the sky. Their light burnt our eyes and we were revealed. We threw back our cloaks – and flew back into the trees in the forest.
I think that perhaps this dream was a subconcious response to the fact that I have decided to be a different religion every day. I have interpreted it as my subconcious recognizing the power of humanity and the understanding of blasphemy. By enveloping myself in different mythologies and religions, I am also – in the interpretation of some – enveloping myself in each of their representations of blasphemy and of hell. So – I have taken the dream as a subconcious warning to not make a travesty of each religion or to speak badly of any God, regardless of my current religious practice.
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream:
“Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.” (Daniel 2:31-35 KJV)
(text taken from) http://www.keyway.ca/htm2004/20040103.htm
Being Holy – a new expedition.
In reaction to my moral need to repent, and the tragedies that have recently befallen me within my personal life – I am now embarking on an attempt at religion. Every day I will be a different religion, completely devout and committed to the beliefs and koshers of that particular faith. I plan to do this for as long as necessary. The schedule is as follows; Sunday-Catholic, Monday-Buddhist, Tuesday-Protestant, Wednesday-Spiritualist, Thursday-Hindu, Friday-Muslim, Saturday-Jewish. In many ways this is also a response to the way in which people raise their children, and what religious background parents come from. For myself before embarking on this adventure I could identify both as a Jew and as a Catholic. (My mother is Jewish and my father is Catholic.) It is this which got me thinking – how many people out there are born into families that have parents of different religions? In the modern world, with the increase is technology how do people cope with the question of God?
Dazed and Confused MOCK Article
This work was produced a year to two years ago. I just dug it out. It is in response to a University brief to create a mock version of dazed and confused. It was based on the relationship between vintage fashion and ageing. Oh – and I’m the model.
Vintage is back. At its extreme vintage clothes go back to the victorian era. But is there a closer collection looming in our future? At the moment anything up to the 90’s can be considered vintage fashion. So, just look in your Nan’s closet and you’d be surprised at what you would find. A lifetime worth of clothing can be an absolute gold mine, a dusty treasure trove of sorts. And since they don’t wear it, does that still mean they’re in style? Daphne sure struts it in style. She wears a collection put together by stylist Lucy Hollingsworth who owns Dead Man’s Glory on Albert Road. Daphne says
‘buying a zimmer-frame was liberating. and more young people should do it – our relationship with the aging process is foolish to be taboo.’
The set and all props were managed and constructed by photographer Heather Dalton who says,
‘I came up with the idea when I was an elderly carer, and now I’ve just had an opportunity to exploit it. – There was this one woman who I used to go to who had been to every country in the world, and traveled for thirty years. She brought back clothing among other things, and she still wears it all. Looking in her wardrobe was like looking into a time capsule, because it’s floor to ceiling and runs the distance of the entire bedroom on three walls. that got me thinking – why not? If vintage is in style why aren’t more grannies throwing out all that khaki, and dusting off what’s lying in their attic?’
The answer would be because society tells them no. Well we tell them yes, saying ‘in style’ isn’t harping back to your golden year’s it’s an opportunity to relive your favorite trends. So, it’s about time they acted their age. But are you? Is wearing vintage clothing making our generation any less modern? Do drum and bass and vintage fashion really mix? Perhaps this is the ‘vintage’ style we will be seeing when we’re older. Vintage is a fluid concept and as different movements or historical events happen over time – like everything else, it matures for the fresh eyes of the new generation. So, embrace your zimmer-frame and inner elder, because in thirty years everyone will probably be wearing it all again.
Old Fashion Images
This is a few of the images which were left over that I found from two different fashion shoots that I did over a year ago. One of the shoots was looking at detail, whilst the other was more focused on the over-all piece.
This is the BEEHIVE.
This Series (including one image of myself which was taken by Roxy) is a preliminary shoot which has been taken for the Beehive. The Beehive is a local group of up and coming; Artists, Poets, Vocalists, Performers. The series includes these people as well as the curators. My major contribution, along with Chris Carey is as a resident photographer for documentary purposes. I will also be designing and producing the anthology for the Beehive, which will include all poems that have been read, and any artwork which has been shown.
‘Utopia’ – White Night Brighton October 2011: Images
These Images are the result of the project which has developed over the previous posts. They were taken on disposable cameras that were chained to signs and placed outside the Brighton Pavilion and across from the Brighton Library for the contemporary art festival White Night which had the theme of Utopia. There was no context given for where the photographs would be shown or how they would be used. The cameras were taken down and replaced within 2 hours of being posted. Whoever took the photos could only move one meter, the length of the chain which attached the camera to the sign.
The series below is from the images taken on Camera 1 which was attached to the multi-colored sign and placed outside of the Brighton Pavilion.
The second Camera was Stolen.
The series below is from the images taken on Camera 3 which was also attached to the multi-colored sign which was placed outside of the Pavilion, unfortunately not all of the images were taken so it resulted in the last three rows of negative which were taken by myself as well as Demi Heath.
The series below is from the images taken on Camera 4. This camera was attached to the yellow sign, and was placed across from the Brighton Library.
‘Utopia’ White Night Brighton October 2011
After having a stab at the project, and going to Paris, and loosing all of the images and two of the signs, I was determined to do it again, and had my opportunity with the White Night which takes place in Brighton (England) on the 29th of October; just in time for, Halloween and Fancy Dress. This time, I was more organised and made plans to sleep in a friend’s ‘Hobbit Room’. I wrapped the camera’s in wire, to hopefully make them CHAV proof – I was so ambitious in this pursuit that when I was wrapping one on the bus into Brighton the fancy dress ‘White Rabbit’ that was sitting across from me described it as ‘Rambo’s Camera’.
Ironically the theme for the night was Utopia, and in the Utopian spirit – only one of the cameras was stolen. Two signs were used, and by replacing the cameras over the course of the Night I was able to go home with three spent disposable cameras – Victorious.
Nuit Blanche Paris October 2011
This year to celebrate Nuit Blanche and the power and excitement involved in contemporary art festivals I produced a project based on site specificity which has the working title ‘take a photo’.
It was spontaneous and exciting – spur of the moment really. I was able to assemble the work within three days and booked my ticked for that weekend. So, it’s not surprising that when I got there – speaking no French, alone in Paris, with no clue of where anything was, and no plans for where I was going to sleep – I make a point to make friends. I met a woman named Magdelena – a hopeless romantic who smokes a cigarette after every good experience, as well as a Dutch man whose name I have unfortunately forgotten, and – combined, they assisted me to hang all of the work throughout the city and the duration of the night.
Below is a copy of the maps within the Nuit Blanche pamphlet, which both Magdelena and our Dutch counterpart marked out for me so that I could find my way back to each site and collect the artwork.
Overall, there were four signs to hang – each with a one meter length chain attached to a color disposable camera.
In the end, they went back to their hostel and I fell asleep in a church – getting locked in, which – when I woke up 5 hours later and realised I could not get out, made a French Priest shout words I can only speculate were a bit unholy. I had not planned to fall asleep for so long, and unfortunately, street art – if left for long enough, and not bolted down will inevitably be stolen. I lost two signs and four of the cameras. But the experience was a treasure in its self.
Pop-Up Portsmouth Exhibition 2010
In 2010 I was involved in an exhibition which brought photography, and the concerns about space to the Guildhall Square in Portsmouth, for 6 hours.
Check out at: http://www.popupportsmouth.co.uk/
Heather Dalton 