"Blau"—Longing and the Repetitions of (Deleuzian) Becoming

Abstract

This article explores how Deleuzian/Guattarian concepts, in particular the notion of becoming and the scope of multiplicity through a rhizomatic development of ideas has offered a way of moving between diverse fine art media (and text) to explore in the making — that is the nomadic place of non-territorialized being, involving both new and traditional media. The discussion focuses on a close reading of the author’s video piece 'Blau' (2015, 2:43 minutes, looped), considering editing notes and peripheral material whilst referring to Freudian notions of fort/da and also Derrida’s idea of differance where meaning is always deferred through new contexts. The leitmotif of the film owes to ideas of a longing embrace of Eros and Thanatos. Repetition is used to insist, disrupt and distort the perception of time-space relations and to aim for a visual/sonic fold juxtaposing seemingly disparate visual scenes, snippets of speech (French, English and Arabic) encountered within ambient sound, abstract colour and voice to reflect on the shifting grounds of actuality and virtuality.