heal & harrow (2022)

I was commissioned by musicians Rachel Newton & Lauren McColl to create a visual accompaniment to their album Heal & Harrow on its album launch tour.

Rachel and Lauren commissioned writer Mairi Kidd to write several short stories in tribute to the women murdered for witchcraft in 16th & 17th Century Scotland. Heal & Harrow is a concept album inspired by Mhairi’s writing, my films are a response to the album they inspired.

“Experimental images that bring to mind Radiohead’s A Moon Shaped Pool visuals; all of which perfectly complement the extraordinary music and songs.” - shire folk review. 165 (march 2022)

Excerpt from ‘Judge Not’ - Heal & Harrow (from the album Heal & Harrow - SHADOW05)

16mm film leader animated with feathers, blood orange, salt, ink.

Excerpt from ‘Corp-crèadha (Figure of Clay)’ - Heal & Harrow (from the album Heal & Harrow - SHADOW05)

Double 8mm film with open gate scan. Cine 8 X2 Reversal B&W shot on Quartz 5, hand processed.

Excerpt from ‘Da Dim’ - Heal & Harrow (from the album Heal & Harrow - SHADOW05)

16mm film leader stained with black ink, scorched and melted, stabbed with needles (inspired by witch pricking).

Excerpt from ‘Eachlair’ - Heal & Harrow (from the album Heal & Harrow - SHADOW05)

Double 8 Kahl Chrome Universal 21. 100ISO Daylight Balanced Colour negative film soaked in lemon juice & dried. 16mm film leader animated with feathers, sage, salt water and ink.

Heal & Harrow’s visuals create experimental narratives of

alchemy, magic and female power

by gathering, editing and curating footage as diaries, remedies, and prophecies. Through a combination of digital footage, 8mm film and 16mm cameraless animation, the accompanying films are designed as visual remedies in tribute to the persecuted women.

In response to the landscape and time period during which the persecutions took place, I have used natural materials to directly animate 16mm film: transparent celluloid is stained with milk, blood orange, herbs, and salts, valued for their remedial properties by 17th-century healers. I have abstracted the violence inflicted upon the persecuted women by scorching, distressing, and pricking celluloid with hot needles – reframing the idea of spellcasting by exploring the link between analog filmmaking and magic.

Heal & Harrow - the album - is out now, released on Feb 4th 2022. You can order here on Download or CD

Excerpt from ‘Corp-crèadha (Figure of Clay)’ - Heal & Harrow (from the album Heal & Harrow - SHADOW05)

Double 8mm film with open gate scan. Cine 8 X2 Reversal B&W distressed and soaked in bath salt & detergent - dried, melted, pricked, then hand-processed @ Andec.

Excerpt from ‘Isobel’ - Heal & Harrow (from the album Heal & Harrow - SHADOW05)

Digital video. Blizzard at Glenshee. Sony A7s II / Voigtlander Nokton 40ml lens.