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We sleep.
We dream.
We dream.
During sleep the body and mind repairs itself in order to thrive. It is a time for restoration where essential truths are revealed in the realm of dreams, engaging with all the senses.
In dreams, perception of time and space defies scientific laws. There are no rules in these
surreal vistas, only an invitation to explore, untethered, and learn the true nature of our fears and desires.
Throughout history a reverence for the power and meaning of dreams has shaped civilisations. They provide us with a potent awareness of ourselves and our bearing in the world.
How Shall I Get Elephants to Stay is an account of my own vivid dreams, illustrated and embodied by my photographs, paintings and sculptures. The title itself is from a vivid dream which showed me writing this book. It is my testimony to the beauty, wonder and mystery of the inner and outer natural worlds.
In this book the nature and landscape photographs are incidental, nothing is staged. Many of the photographs were taken on my phone as the moment requires. I'm fascinated by the way dreams and waking life can often overlap. Uncannily, offering a timely metaphor to underline a message sent by the subconscious. Bringing this nocturnal awareness into the daylight helps me to strengthen an alliance with my environment, to discover my bearing in the world and to perceive subtleties of seemingly reciprocal influence.  |
| Worldly Possessions – a song beginning with water and ending with flesh. |
"In her book How Shall I Get Elephants To Stay Gaynor brings mythical beauty and depth to all her subjects - the human body, rich landscapes and abandoned detritus of our 'civilised' way of life. Her dream stories add yet more otherworldly mystery and a fairytale lens of significance to her perceptions of our external world. A magical, internal journey into the subconscious and awe of our natural surroundings. It's a highly feminine, moonlit exploration into the endless paths within our selves". Kate Daisy Grant - musician (www.katedaisygrant.com), Somatic Experiencing practitioner, Body Psychotherapist
