What lies waiting on the other side?
In her latest creative work, Seddon performance artist Tamara Saulwick (pictured) takes audiences on a journey to the edge of oblivion, exploring our encounters with the end of life.
Premiered at the Sydney Festival in January,
Endings uses portable turntables, reel-to-reel tape players and live performance in a meditation on cycles and the ending of things.
“In some ways it’s about death; it’s built from a whole heap of interviews with people talking about those last days and moments with loved ones,” Saulwick said. “I took these interview materials and edited them down to fragments of these conversations, then I cut those on to vinyl records that we play on these old vintage players, which have these beautiful, warm, crackly tones – it sounds like another time.”
Saulwick said the piece is rounded out with music created in collaboration with her partner, sound designer Peter Knight, and Grand Salvo’s Paddy Mann.
She began the project some time ago, yet found it took a personal turn with the death of her own father.
“The narrative that runs through it, although not explicitly, is my father’s death and my way of trying to stay connected somehow,” Saulwick said. “In that sense my narrative has a thread through it but it sits in among all the other voices and experiences.
“I think, even though it’s about death it’s almost a homage to loved ones and it’s really about that seemingly intrinsic human desire to stay connected with loved ones beyond the grave in some way.”
Endings plays at the Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall, May 13-17. Bookings: www.artshouse.com.au.
Benjamin Millar
