Xavier Nuez » dreams

Happy (nuclear) ending

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 08:15:40 +0000

I have an unhealthy obsession with nuclear war and its aftermath – this influence is clearly stamped on my work. I can’t help it… I’d rather not have this obsession (I watched Terminator 3 for the 4th time today), but the fact remains that I believe in my lifetime at least one major city somewhere on this planet will be destroyed in a nuclear battle – and I think its irresponsible and dishonest for me to smother this belief. I have felt this way for, I don’t know… 20, 30 years.

Part of the package is that I have bad dreams related to this. I had one recently that was unusual because of its humorous ending:

The foolish decision is made to launch a first strike. The nuclear codes are entered and an electrical current carrying the launch command is sent to the missiles. In my dream, I see this current leaving the pristine government office and running along street cables at night. The current, carrying this doomsday command, is now running along cables through desolate, abandoned city streets, still late at night. It reaches its destination: a boarded up building at a vacant street corner, and comes to a sputtering halt. The missiles can’t be launched because some go-between business, required to get the missiles up, has gone bankrupt under our faltering economy.

Strange and beautiful clouds near San Quentin penitentiary, last Friday

Dream, dream, dreeeeeaaaaam

Sun, 25 May 2008 06:28:07 +0000

I just had a dream related to what I shoot. This is actually quite a common occurence - maybe I should write these down more often.

I’m somehow bound to a group of misfits in this dream - I think I’m in a detention or a prison for autistic people. They take us for daily walks around the block, always at night, and always in areas full of free people, who end up staring at us. And I always bring my camera gear on this nightly walk. In the distance there are huge ruined cities visible with my telescopic powered lens - modern cities devastated and abandoned. They look incredible through my lens, but are invisible to the naked eye. I can see enormous steel skyscrapers all rusted out; massive buildings hunched over ready to collapse, and of course, the lighting is dramatic and superb. I want to go to them to take pictures but I’m not able to leave. My friends keep asking nonchalantly if they are still taking me on my daily humiliating walks, thru neighborhoods full of people gawking and pointing at us. Every night we have our walk, and every night I stare at these surreal cities that I dream of visiting and exploring with my camera.

This was shot in southern Florida in 2006. I managed to photograph myself while flying – a difficult feat when you consider that I fly very, very fast.

The Apocalypse

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 15:39:08 +0000

Had another awesome day at artexpo… great sales and contacts, and 2 more days to go! But the lack of sleep and constant nights out started taking its toll. I went straight to the hostel after the show and slipped into bed with my laptop to watch Terminator: the Sarah Conner Chronicles - the only show I’m following. I don’t have a TV at home – my wife Pam and I are fine with this, but sometimes I miss it dearly, like a crack addict. Google Video gives me the fix I need.

I love watching anything apocalyptic. I could watch this kind of stuff 24 hours a day. At school, nearly every paper or project I did dealt with nuclear war. For years, and to this day, I have aweful dreams of H-bombs detonating. During the day, I might suddenly imagine a bright flash, and the light streaming through the windows wherever I’m at… then just waiting for the impact.

OK… another image of mine I have yet to post on my site.