“Just Close Your Eyes And Talk To Her” layers traditional stop motion animation using salt as a material, digital video editing using After Effects and clips from Shelagh Delaney’s “A Taste of Honey”. It explores the grieving of maternal figures, the repetitive numbness of loss and how we may try to cope with it – a way of trying to work through their own emotions following the death of their nan in 2022.
The elements were chosen for how they link to Mr Bergstrom and their Nan – the photograph used for the background of the first part was taken while scattering their Nan’s ashes, while salt was chosen as it was the closest material to resemble ashes.
The video is set to an original sound composition using samples from “A Taste of Honey” as well as a sample from the recording of their Nan’s funeral – a family friend offering consolation, giving the piece its name.
