Alice thesis 1-title pages

92 Pages·2014·2.67 MB·English

Dream Embodiment
Adventuring intimately via voice and creative arts

Alice Hui-Sheng Chang

March 2014

Master of Arts by Supervision in Experiential and Creative Arts Practice
The Miecat Institute, Melbourne, Australia
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Alice, Map of thesis, 2013, charcoal on paper, 40 x 30 cm
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Abstract

With curiosity, we listen, move, draw, collage, echo, and sound to our dreams.
What you are journeying into is a multimodal documentation of my practice-led research of nighttime dream
experiences, embodied and represented through vocal sound and other art forms.
To launch, I share with you my passion for voice and dreaming in my sound improvisation practice. I follow
the path of this practice with five women who contribute dreams weekly for four weeks. In turn, each embodies and
represents her own dreams using voice and other art mediums. We attend to and participate in each other’s dreams
vocally, following the dreamer. Along the way, I dreamt and explored one of my dreams using a similar process.
I reflect on the experience of dream embodiment, remaining open to the flow of possibilities and respecting
the unknown. To terminate, I arrive at a series of small knowings on self, process, expression, support, and trust.
Now, I invite you to travel with all of your senses, to trust your own way of experiencing through the layers,
turns, pauses and returns of a non-linear dream embodiment.
Keywords: dream, embodiment, voice, Arts-based research, Phenomenology, Postmodern research, Collaborative
research
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Declaration

I declare that this research project is my original work except where indicated. Due acknowledgement has been made
to all other materials used.

Name: Alice Hui-Sheng Chang
Signed:
Date:
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Acknowledgements

Thank you.
Thank you for traveling alongside me.
Thank you for listening and supporting me with generosity.
Thank you for sharing your feelings, your thoughts, your values, and your dreams with honesty.
You know you are wonderful. I am grateful with all my heart, lungs, breath and bubbles.
You allow me to be, in my odd and strange way.
You hold my hands with a smile and a twinkle.
I thank you. Thank you.
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Table of Contents

content page number

PROLOGUE ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 1
Dream Embodiment .……………………………………………………………………………………….. 2
To Launch …………………………………………………………………………………………………..... 2
My Journey …………………………………………………………………………………………………... 3
My Dreams …………………………………………………………………………………………………... 5
My Art Practice ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 6
METHODOLOGY ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 8
A Performative Inquiry ……………………………………………………………………………………... 9
Pre-reflective Embodiment ……………………………………………………………………………........ 14
Openness to Unknown ………………………………………………………………………………………. 15
Multiple Voices ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 16
Intersubjectivity ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 20
Reflexivity …………………………………………………………………………………………………...... 21
Process of Becoming …………………………………………………………………………………………. 22
DREAM EMBODIMENT PROCESS ………….……………………………………………………….. 23
The Beginning ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 24
The Group Process …………………………………………………………………………………………… 24
To Share .……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 25
My Dream ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 26
Christina’s Dream …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 31
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Julie’s Dream ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 34
Sally’s Dream …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 37
Sarah’s Dream ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 40
Zoe’s Dream ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 42
REFLECTING AS A GROUP ……………………………………………………………………………. 44
An End as a Beginning ………………………………………………………………………………………. 45
Christina ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 46
Julie ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………... 48
Sally …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 50
Sarah ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 53
Zoe ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..... 55
Myself …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 57
SMALL KNOWINGS ……………………………………………………………………………………… 58
Feeling and Knowing Now ………………………………………………………………………………….. 59
Embodiment of the Research Data ………………………………………………………………………… 60
Self …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….... 62
Process ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 63
Express …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 64
Support …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 65
Trust …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 66
New Practice …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 67
REFERENCES ……………………………………………..………………………………………………. 69
APPENDIX ……………………………………………..…………………………………………………… 72
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List of figures

figure number. Creator, Title or description, year, medium, dimension (h. x w. x d.) page number
Figure 1. Alice, Waiting for Superhero, 2012, collage, 40 x 30 cm ……………………………………………… 4
Figure 2. Alice, painting with a tree branch, 2012, acrylic paint on paper, 40 x 30 cm ……………………… 7
Figure 3. Alice, Non-linear connections: I zoom out, 2013, magazine cut out, 9.5 x 14 cm ……………… 12
Figure 4. Alice, Discovery: I dive in, 2013, magazine cut out, 9.5 x 14 cm ……………………………… 18
Figure 5. Alice, Two Suns Burning, 2013, acrylic paint on paper, 40 x 30 cm ……………………………… 28
Figure 6. Alice, Two Suns Burning, 2013, wool, 15 x 30 cm ……………………………………………… 28
Figure 7. Christina, pairs of pink paper used, 2013 ……………………………………………………………… 32
Figure 8. Christina, Christina’s hands and feet, 2013 ……………………………………………………… 33
Figure 9. Julie, dream representation, 2013, paper, wool and plastic, 40 x 35 cm ……………………………… 34
Figure 10. Julie, dream representation (close up), 2013, paper and wool ……………………………………… 36
Figure 11. Zoe, dream amplification, 2013, pastel on paper, 30 x 43 cm ……………………………………… 43
Figure 12. Christina, Pairs, 2013, found postcards ……………………………………………………………… 46
Figure 13. Christina, Awe, 2013, found postcards ……………………………………………………………… 46
Figure 14. Alice, ISR to Christina’s statement, 2013, magazine cut out, 9.5 x 14 cm ……………………… 47
Figure 15. Alice, ISR for Christina, 2013, fabric, 11 x 8 cm ……………………………………………………… 47
Figure 16. Alice, ISR for Christina, 2013, fabric, 11 x 8 cm ……………………………………………………… 47
Figure 17. Julie, Moment and Movement, 2013, paper, 22 x 30 x 30 cm ……………………………………… 48
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figure number. Creator, Title or description, year, medium, dimension (h. x w. x d.) page number
Figure 18. Alice, ISR to Julie’s statement, 2013, magazine cut out, 9.5 x 14 cm ……………………… 49
Figure 19. Alice, ISR for Julie, 2013, fabric, 10 x 25 cm ……………………………………………………… 49
Figure 20. Alice, ISR for Julie, 2013, fabric, 10 x 25 cm ……………………………………………………… 49
Figure 21. Sally, In Between, 2013, magazine cut out, pastel and pencil on paper, 30 x 44 cm ……………… 50
Figure 22. Sally, In Between (drawing under the centre paper), 2013, magazine cut out and pastel on paper …... 50
Figure 23. Sally, Birth, 2013, fabric, 180 x 130 cm ……………………………………………………………… 51
Figure 24. Alice, ISR to Sally’s statement, 2013, magazine cut out, 9.5 x 14 cm ……………………………… 52
Figure 25. Alice, ISR for Sally, 2013, fabric and found objects, 12 x 24 x 10 cm ……………………………… 52
Figure 26. Alice, ISR for Sally, 2013, fabric and found objects, 12 x 24 x 10 cm ……………………………… 52
Figure 27. Sarah, Ocean, 2013, found objects in sand tray, 10 x 30 x 40 cm ……………………………………… 53
Figure 28. Sarah, Protection, 2013, found objects, 10 x 14 x 14 cm ……………………………………………… 53
Figure 29. Alice, ISR to Sarah’s statement, 2013, magazine cut out, 9.5 x 14 cm ……………………………… 54
Figure 30. Alice, ISR for Sarah, 2013, fabric, 25 x 20 cm ……………………………………………………… 54
Figure 31. Alice, ISR for Sarah, 2013, fabric, 25 x 20 cm ……………………………………………………… 54
Figure 32. Zoe, Magic / Strip Tease, 2013, found postcards ……………………………………………… 55
Figure 33. Alice, ISR for Zoe, 2013, fabric, 3 x 12 cm ……………………………………………………… 56
Figure 34. Alice, ISR for Zoe, 2013, fabric, 3 x 12 cm ……………………………………………………… 56
Figure 35. Alice, ISR to Zoe’s statement, 2013, magazine cut out, 9.5 x 14 cm ……………………………… 56
Figure 36. Alice, representation of my statement, 2013, magazine cut out, 9.5 x 14 cm ……………………… 57
Figure 37. Mandy, ISR, 2013, Colour pencil on paper, 15 x 10 cm ……………………………………………… 59
Figure 38 - 42. Alice, Small Knowings, 2013, pastel on paper, 60 x 42 cm ………………………………………. 62-66
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List of audio tracks (headphones recommended)

track number. track content duration (minute’ second”) page number

Track 1. Alice - dream representation 3’50” …………………….. 30
Track 2. Christina - dream representation 2’20” …………………….. 31
Track 3. Christina - group companioning amplification 1’23” …………………….. 32
Track 4. Christina - ISR poem 0’57” …………………….. 33
Track 5. Julie - group companioning amplification 2’18” …………………….. 35
Track 6. Julie - ISR poem 0’49” …………………….. 36
Track 7. Sally - dream representation 2’10” …………………….. 37
Track 8. Sally - amplification 0’49” …………………….. 38
Track 9. Sally - embodiment 0’43” …………………….. 38
Track 10. Sally - ISR poem 1’08” …………………….. 39
Track 11. Sarah - dream representation 1’34” …………………….. 40
Track 12. Sarah - group companioning amplification 0’44” …………………….. 40
Track 13. Sarah - embodiment 1’15” …………………….. 41
Track 14. Sarah - ISR poem 0’52” …………………….. 41
Track 15. Zoe - dream representation 2’55” …………………….. 42
Track 16. Zoe - ISR poem 1’05” …………………….. 43