Surprise!

Welcome back The Magic Hour. The universe decided that Tess and I would meet this year- and it was a fitting alignment being that we both seem to think alot about our relationship to time. In this wild world of connection, it really moved me that somehow she found the Dreamcast at just the right moment-when I was ready to allow for more “letting things happen” and relinquishing control. This kind of magic encounter is what the Dreamcast is all about.

Tess is a filmmaker/animator/artist who has lived all around the world and is currently creating and showing work in Rotterdam. She joined me on the dreamcast to talk about her life and artwork. We delve into why we care about time, about a sense of place, about animation and its ability to slow down stories and make us remember to not forget.

Please find below stills from her projects, links to her films, and where she will be showing her work in the upcoming months.

Please share, connect and support her so she can continue to create her amazing work. Please start here at her website!

Feel free to share thoughts and ideas below, and if you ever feel inspired to share you story with me around the fire, let me know.

Until next time,

Pixie

Links to Tess’ films:

Currently only one film is publicly available:

'Still Life with Woman, Tea and Letter'

The trailer to '1976: Search for Life' is here:

This one will be online next summer.

The trailer to 'How Now, House?' is here:

Her work will be showing

At the Sheffield Doc Fest Jun 21st and 22nd! Link to the film.

Here is the Italian Film Festival

Rotterdam Installation in June

Links to the films and other things we discuss in our talk:

Yuri Norstein-Tale of Tales

I Lost My Body Trailer

Tango-experimental film

Book: The Order of Time

Caroline Leaf

Note:

Thank you to Ale for helping me with the epic editing hurdles for this one..

Ew.

Maybe “ew” is how it really is sometimes, but keeping a sense of humor is also important. So is telling the truth. Sarah does both. I hope you enjoy this talk on the Dreamcast- that you laugh, cry, and entertain curiosity all at once.

Please follow the links below to request commissions from Sarah, and to see all of her social media accounts. Her work is excellent, but even more importantly she is an excellent person, which makes what she creates all the more special.

Thank you for joining us, and see you again soon!

Evil Toaster Art Linktree

“ Do not laugh! But once upon a time (my crest has long since fallen) I had a mind to make a body of more or less connected legend, ranging from the large and cosmogonic, to the level of romantic fairy story- the larger founded on the lesser in contact with the earth, the lesser drawing splendour from the vast backcloths- which I could dedicate simply to: to England; to my country. It should possess the tone and quality that I desired, somewhat cool and clear, be redolent of our ‘air’ (the clime and soil of the North West, meaning Britain and the hither parts of Europe: not Italy or the Aegean, still less the East), and, while possessing (if I could achieve it) the fair elusive beauty that some call Celtic…it should be ‘high’, purged of the gross, and fit for the more adult mind of a land long now steeped in poetry. I would draw some of the great tales in fullness, and leave many only placed in the scheme, and sketched. The cycles should be linked to a majestic whole, and yet leave scope for other minds and hands, wielding paint and music and drama. Absurd.”

From A Letter by J.R.R. Tolkien to Milton Waldman, 1951 In the introduction to the 2022 copy of The Silmarillion

Welcome back to the fire.

What exists in our current reality is only the surface of deep and timeless truths. If we broke ourselves open into the stuff of stars, we would find all of the versions of love and envy and cowardice and light. And what would they look like? Gold or silver, or something indescribable?

But isn’t that what art and writing find- the indescribable truths of this timeline. The limitations and then moments when those limitations seem surmountable.

Within myth and stories are a code, an ancient mythic code and this saga is one of many. An enchanted spell created just for us- for then, and a few decades ago, and now.

Now most of all- since now is where we find ourselves in this moment.

I imagine it a glowing book- runes in the twilight, and asking us to open it. Inside, the sacred script that was written on our souls when the universe began

Messages meant for us.

I think within the container of this time

are the smallest most simple and sweet of moments

that will, in the end,

save the entire world.

A kind word. A soft tap at the door.

The breathless pause as the candle is lit.

Take your armor- and depart. There is more magic than we once supposed.

Until next month

pixie

Shownotes:

Ismael Cruz Cordova-interview mentioned in this episode- but it is missing some key information.

The interview with more details starts at 1:03 in this video

Join me on the Cara app: @jesspixie and join us in reclaiming our hearts and minds.

The Spell of Social Media Episode

The Dark Crystal Episode