Changing Thoughts

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Changing Thoughts | skydiving art | vexedart – Vedi Djokich

In this project I wanted to visually express thoughts, and also physically depict them changing.

We invite you to watch the video and then read about its creation…

Pen drawing, insect portrait
Bug art, cicada drawing
Face portrait in pen
Serene mind screen print

THOUGHTS

Positive, Negative, Nothing…

Thoughts are ephemeral, they come and go. They can be positive at one moment, change to negative, then disappear altogether. In this project I wanted to visually express thoughts, and also physically depict them changing. Either from positive to negative, white to black, detailed to obscure. One set of images would be shown, then a second set of images would be released, covering them up. Finally everything would be deleted by releasing paint onto all of the images.

As with every skydive art project there are a number of obstacles to overcome. Such as the technical screen printing difficulties of working with very thin and unforgivable fabrics. Clearly capturing the images in freefall at speeds of 160mph in under a minute, etc. This project had a few new technical challenges too. Mainly creating a release system to contain the second tube until it was meant to be deployed. As well as devising a way to keep the paint secure and easily dispensable with the pull of a single handle. A lot of time was spent fabricating these systems from scratch, test jumping them, and reworking their designs. Special thanks to Curtis for his patience and fabrication skills. After several revisions we were able to get things to work pretty good.

These projects take many months to complete. Form their conception, preliminary and refined drawings. Screen printing on fabric and sewing. Skydiving/filming and video editing. Finally, creating limited edition screen prints on paper as well as clothing. Not sure how many hundreds of hours are spent in total, but it definitely adds up quickly. The process of creating something, displaying it for a short period of time, and destroying it afterwards, reminds me of sand mandalas. Buddhist monks create these elaborately designed mandalas in sand which are later destroyed during a dissolution ceremony. It is a celebration of the creative and destructive forces of life. Embracing the creative journey and accepting that it can not last.

Thanks to the following skydivers & aerial cinematographers :

  • Sara Curtis & Steve Curtis : Arizona Arsenal
  • Johnny Gunn
  • Andy Locke
  • Cosmoprod for composing the original music for this project

Changing Thoughts (top video) is the 3rd skydive art project. The others are:

Time the Eraser : creating and destroying art while skydiving and painting – 2016

vex 13 000: skydive art project – 2014

Artist Vedi Djokich releases paint onto his graphic tubes

Meet: Lesley Gale

Lesley has been in love with skydiving for 35 years. She is a multiple world and national record holder and a coach on 20 successful record events worldwide. She has over 100 competition medals spanning more than 25 years and has been on the British 8-way National team at World events. She started Skydive Mag to spread knowledge, information and passion about our amazing sport.
Lesley is delighted to be sponsored by Performance Designs, Sun Path, Cypres, Cookie, Symbiosis suits and Larsen & Brusgaard

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