Morgan Hickinbotham

Reflection III by Morgan Hickinbotham

Artwork depicting woman comforting small crying child.

Image: Morgan Hickinbotham, 'Reflection III' 2019 (image still), 8mm film, dimensions variable
 
Over the last three years, Composer Morgan Hickinbotham has been working on a multi-disciplinary series of work, Reflection. Inspired by the research of Oliver Sacks, Hickinbotham created a series of compositional experiments by inducing sleep state aural hallucinations and documenting the results. From these Hickinbotham was able to compose with fragments of music constructed in dreams.

Reflection I
, a three-movement electronic composition went on to be classically notated and performed by two cellists. Following that was Reflection II, an installation of the composition and 8mm film at Testing Grounds in March 2019. Reflection III is the latest development for Peel Street Park Projection Program, a large-scale installation of the visual film score, without sound.
 
In 2018 Hickinbotham created the visual score on 8mm film. This film was developed in conjunction with dancer and choreographer Amber McCartney and curator Bek Berger. Using the classical score as a starting point the team worked to embody concepts of visualising the unconscious self in relation to the environment and transcribing the textures of the sonic score to film.

The full sonic score of the film is available as a free download that audiences can listen to on their own personal devices if they choose to. The downloaded score can be played at any point of the film.

Reflection III by Morgan Hickinbotham was part of the Peel Street Park Projection Program from 5 August—1 September, 2019.