Departure (2007) SJ.Ramir

An anonymous figure sets out on a journey - moving through a harsh and sunburnt terrain, towards an unknown destination. Pixels are enhanced in the video work by the use of custom-made lens filters, to create pointillist textures, and eliminate superfluous detail.

"On a visual/conceptual level, I’m constructing, then examining an inner world or mental state that somehow traps us and defines us – it’s also a response to the deprivation of knowledge; deprivation of answers to questions we have about life, self-identity, existence and lastly, a response to self-delusion. Do we view anything in this world through a clear lens? I doubt it. I place a self-made filter over the lens of my camera, which then distorts its view. In essence, each of us do this to ourselves everyday – consciously or subconsciously. I think that the images in my films are very aligned to a human perspective on the world.' - SJ.Ramir

SJ.Ramir is an artist/filmmaker residing in Melbourne, Australia. His films often contain scenes of lone figures moving across remote and isolated landscapes, and are concerned with existence and its relationship to, and occupation of physical/geographical space. The landscapes and structures in his films are a mix of actual locations and constructed 3D models.

The prominent style of his films came from early years of experimentation with custom-made lens filters. These filters enhanced video pixels and produced hazy, distorted images, which Ramir felt were visually suggestive of emotional states connected with a central theme in his work: isolation.

His films have been screened at prestigious film festivals worldwide, including the 67th Venice International Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam and MIFF.