"A Chicken Dream"

Visuals and editing by Julie Murphy

Music by Ultra Kinetic Orchestra

“Music by Ultra Kinetic Orchestra accompanies this journey into the subconscious universe of a chicken plagued by insomnia.”

I wrote the tag-line above in an attempt to describe what "A Chicken Dream" was about in one sentence. The project does indeed celebrate adventure-- an unscripted, spontaneous evening-- an ode to improvisation-- a visual poem, jazz. But on another, deeper level, the video is a nod to night-owls of all stripes-- a celebration of creations of the night and the easy passing of time.

I worked on this video over a period of years, putting it away for 5-6 months at a spell, and pulling it out of the crypt whenever the obsessive mood struck me. During periods of inspiration, I would add new photography, drawing and visual elements, and would re-work entire segments, rearranging layers and tweaking edits, spending weekend days and nights holed up in my small apartment studio, experimenting with computers, cameras, paper and pens. And through this laborious process, the animation started to self-reflexively become about... time.

This animation followed me from Los Angeles to a life-changing trip to Guatemala to Chicago, a place where time is marked strongly by the dramatic seasons-- where winter becomes synonymous with the night and redemption can be imagined every springtime. Nothing is more joyful in Chicago than spring flowers and being able to peel off 45 layers of clothing to feel sunlight on bare skin.

I like winter. Not in a sensual way, but in an intellectual sense. Quiet, contemplative and yes, miserable at times, winter does not allow you to turn away from the human condition-- from physical pain, poverty and despair of so many citizens surviving on the fringe of American life. Winter holds your eyes open and makes you look at your neighbors and wonder how and where they are going to make it through the frigid night. Winter forces you look at yourself and wonder where the time has gone.

This video erupted from my subconscious and I am still learning strange things about myself when I watch it. Many thanks to the strong creative vision of John Nau and the Ultra Kinetic Orchestra for their evocative music.

© Julie Murphy 2012 all rights reserved