“Fear is the mind-killer”...

My antenna is raised as high as I can get it, perched on stacks of books, albums, gig, movies, conversations or anything really, scanning the ether, searching, waiting patiently for the next inspiration, to be generously (& gratefully) gifted the next fleeting flash of composition, feeling, sensation, idea, inspiration for my next project, in whatever form it might be taken in.

Those irregular signal/broadcast moments must be respected, acted upon immediately, or as is often the case, at bare minimum noted down in already dense notebooks, to be explored later, as you are presently deep in the process of another body of work. These catalytic moments are like being handed a phone number to the gods whilst on a dance floor at 5am, to not use it is disrespectful to creativity, the music and the adventure.

Canadian director Denis Villeneuve has been responsible for some of my most memorable movie experiences, making an outstanding sequel (Blade Runner 2049, 2017) to my favourite movie of all time Blade Runner (1982), the suffocating, stunning Sicario (2015), and the heart wrenching, mind blowing, and also in my top movies of all time, Arrival (2016). Hearing he was on board to create the modern take on Dune (1965), the book series by Frank Herbert, having not read it, intrigue rose. But then, having seen interviews with Denis about how the books influenced him in his teen years (they directly inspired him to start making movies), I had to start reading them immediately. And I understood instantly.

Beginning them in the midst of lockdown, the global event that imprisoned a planet, both physically and no doubt for many years to come, mentally, immense travel was still possible within these pages.

We were confined, but between the jackets of these books, my mind sped across worlds, galaxies, time, generations, concepts, people, tribes, sciences, ideologies, histories and concepts that blew my mind, while saving it at the same time. I HAD to make my own homage to these truly incredible books, to the vision Denis created, and to the creator of the whole of Dune, Frank Herbert.

A keystone to the books is the powerful religious order of women called the Bene Gesserit, who helped guide most of humanity, whatever world they lived on, with their vast expanded knowledge of the human experience, abilities, and it’s nuances and their quest to raise, protect it. Centuries of honing knowledge, techniques led them to be able to distill awareness, and have a purity in their training that will carry them through any situation.

None more so than their litany, their mantra they infinitely recited to themselves, to calm the maelstrom of their minds during moments of anxiety, or outright fear. This litany became my mantra ever since reading it, and it came at the perfect time in my life, when I needed it most.

“I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

I call the process to create this piece Phyre Etching. It involves the scorching of a wooden surface, then with (incredibly) sharp carving knives (I highly recommend Flexcut tools), and a vast amount of hours, the image emerges from the burnt surface by cutting into it.

Materials: scorched wood panel, gold leaf, acrylic ink, glass smalts, oak frame.

Dimensions: 30cm x 100cm

Contact for purchase.