SAME SKIES FILM
The film was created, shot, edited, and scored by the artist Owen Mosley inspired by the stories of the wonderful people around him. Inspired by the alchemists of old this mercurial film aims to capture the spirit of breath and reflection.
The Same Skies project aims to make the abstract issue of greenhouse gas emissions tangible by creating an Earth community, through the sharing of memory.
The inspiration came from C.G. Jung’s Psychology and Alchemy, specifically Jung’s analysis of the divination bowls alchemists used. These bowls were filled with quicksilver, or mercury, and allowed alchemists to divine the future in their search for the magnum opus. Jung believed that like the bowls of mercury consciousness itself is a liquid, a beautiful reflective substance that fills the container it is in. Mercury, the messenger of the Gods seemed to me to be the perfect merger of sky and water, prompting me to create my own pools of reflection resulting in the Pools Posters, the Pools IRL Sculpture, and finally the Same Skies Film.
During the summer of 2023, like many before I spent my days paddling and backpacking through the kind and subtly stunning beauty that is the Northwoods of Upper Michigan, Minnesota, and my home state Wisconsin. Throughout the summer, I connected with so many beautiful people in this landscape I love so much. The key to this connection was listening. Listening to others. Listening to myself. Listening to the land. Looking for richer shades of blue.
I always remember Bon Iver, Holocene: “And at once, I knew I was not magnificent.” Not apart but a part of a greater whole.
This deep listening is something I always remember when in direct relationship with the land and community and I wanted to bring it to IDS 3. The goal of this project was to continue the sharing of memory through the tool of the Sky, connect others to themselves, a memory community, and an Earth community, and create something beautiful that listened and drew breath. The goal is to connect individuals to an intangible issue, combating climate change with a love of self, community, and Earth.
As human-caused climate change continues to pose massive problems for life on our beautiful planet we must forge stronger, kinder, and more understanding relationships with each other, ourselves, and the land we inhabit. Strong relationships are based on listening and love.
A huge thank you to Shannon Ross, Beth Ott, Mike Neil and the rest of my wonderful family, and everyone who submitted a sky. More Same Skies Project to come.
https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/climate-change-even-worse-we-thought-ipcc-report
https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/how-leading-us-conservationists-manage-hold-hope
Pools_IRL Reflecting a beautiful Sky at Little Island, NYC. Thank you Nate, Sofia, and Quinn.
