The Old Ruins of Helen de Helen

The Old Ruins of Helen de Helen
h61 x w61 x d1cm, oil on board

The Old Ruins of Helen de Helen (detail)

Untangle

 

written, performed, produced & mixed by Gaynor Perry

I held you close, I let you go

Catching spiders in a glass 

They mapped the contours of my face

During the night

While sleep washed my raven heart

Lily white

I held you dear

I let you disappear like dandelion seeds

On a single breath

It’s for the best

We were enmeshed

My life is small 

It’s like a prayer

I’ll walk barefoot down to the sea

We toil, toil, toil, toil, toil

And then we will be free

So please untangle me

I held you close, I let you go

Watching spiders in a glass

I hope you found somewhere sublime 

To spin your webs

And your heart is overflowing 

With happiness

I held you dear

I let you disappear like diamond dust

Do you know where you are

In relation to the sun and the moon

And the earth

My life is small 

It’s like a prayer

I’ll walk barefoot down to the sea

We toil, toil, toil, toil, toil

And then we will be free

When you untangle me

Current Releases

Artificial Intelligence

 

Film, photography & concept by Gaynor Perry

with

Grethe Mangala Jensen

&

Deborah Griffin

Music

written & performed by Gaynor Perry

produced & performed by Noko 440

Grethe enters a state of hypnagogic consciousness 

as she drowses on the branch of a fallen laurel tree.

Deborah Griffin

Grethe Mangala Jensen

In these hours

(soh)

batteries and hazel eyes

Without careful aim

we're blown

without careful aim

we’re here now

(toad)

Albion drawn in the ground

with a gemstone

a coiled shell

You are young

unbelieving

to live or grow

like Turing

An opponent

(soh)

We're here

so grow

You are young

Gaynor Perry

Norman Fisher-Jones aka Noko 440

The following day, when we had finished filming, I walked back to the location and discovered this animal spine (above) strewn across my path. On closer inspection it may be a badger spine. There were no other bones nearby. Naturally, I reflected on how it got there. Did a dog or a fox dig it up and drag it there? A very mysterious offering.

At the beginning, I made a photograph of Grethe resting on the branch of a fallen laurel tree. And now when I look again, I can see a vine climbing one of the limbs, on the right-hand side, looking quite spine-like.

While this strange and timely motif seems integral to the piece, I don't have an explanation. Other than the spirit in which we approached creating this.  A profound sense of the sacred spaces of our landscape and nature within, perhaps resonated somehow in the labyrinthian old heart of the land.

Who knows.

Digby - farewell to this ethereal boy who departed for his next great adventure a month after taking this photo.

Thanks for visiting!

Her Ensemble ft. Bishi

I had the great pleasure of photographing Her Ensemble recently. Formed by violinist Ellie Consta, they are the UK's first women and non-binary string orchestra creating stunning performances. This one featuring wonderful Bishi with lighting design by Belinda Best.

Lucía Polo Moreno

L-R Raye Harvey, Emma Oldfield, Sarah Daramy-Williams

 L-R Coco Inman, Christine Anderson, Fran McGuinness Gilbert, Lucía Polo Moreno

L-R Coco Inman, Christine Anderson, Fran McGuinness Gilbert, Lucía Polo Moreno

L-R Kate Suthers, Coco Inman

Anne Denholm 

Anne Denholm 

Anne Denholm 

Meera Priyanka Raja

L-R Ellie Consta, Sarah Daramy-Williams

Raye Harvey

Lucía Polo Moreno

Fran McGuinness Gilbert

L-R Christine Anderson, Fran McGuinness Gilbert, Lucía Polo Moreno, 
Meera Priyanka Raja, Maddie Cutter

Christine Anderson

Kate Suthers

L-R Emma Oldfield, Raye Harvey

L-R Emma Oldfield, Raye Harvey

Ellie Consta, Sarah Daramy-Williams

Bishi

Her Ensemble

Bishi

Nevertheless She Persisted

Village Underground

54 Holywell Lane

London

EC2A 3PQ

Saturday 2 July, 2022