the flow of water

​

Presented as part of the Art X Detroit 2015 Visual Arts Exhibition,The Flow of Water is a 2D animated short film by print artist Carl Wilson.

It is a mixture of animation techniques including cut out, traditional, and digital. Intercut with live action, it is told in a surreal style with a non-linear narrative. The film plays on a large video monitor at the center of an abstract installation.

The Flow of Water is a dark allegorical tale depicting the voyage of self-discovery Carl’s wife Mariuca embarked on, endured, and conquered. Raised in a harsh, cult-like religion, she determined she would reject the demand for submission to a husband and religion. She would become the ruler of her own life.

Shunned by friends and disowned by her family for rejecting the chauvinist teachings of their religion, the film’s heroine, Marty, a middle-aged woman, dares to leave the only world she has ever known to create a whole new life for herself. Marty must conquer her own personal demons, her fear of the unknown, and fear of a world that she has been told was inherently evil.

The installation is from Wilson’s original design and is constructed by artist Charlie O’Geen. A black and white painted design featuring elements of Wilson’s print work, the structure consists of a ten-foot-by-ten-foot wooden platform. On one side of the platform, a representation of a ten-foot light pole is attached. An eight-foot high wall attached to another side of the platform will hold a 70-inch HD monitor that continuously loops the animated film. A canopy made of string representing rays of light covers the top of the installation. Viewers will be able to step under the canopy placing them in Marty’s world.