die back
fieldwork/field recording and experimental video with frame-by-frame animation and data sonification of geological stratigraphy 5:53. edition 7/7 available $1100 each. A joint work with Annette Nykiel. Video © Perdita Phillips and Annette Nykiel
An experimental film about the Coalfields of Collie, southwest Western Australia by Perdita Phillips and Annette Nykiel. The Collie coal basin has been mined since 1898 with the current mining expected to close in 2026, with the ongoing phase-out and transition of coal-fired power stations infrastructure in the next decade. The original version was made for Petrocultures 2024 (southern hemisphere/Perth), using local coal and charcoal, ochres and natural plant dyes. Sound and editing was based around sonification of geological stratigraphy, with field recordings of powerlines and other vibrations. The work combines in situ (2024-2025) filming (the forest, dieback affected trees, mine sites, view points, rehabilitated pits)*, found footage and historical photographs that evoke the above- and below- ground more-than-human worlds. With an eye to the future, discordant sounds summon strong emotions—within the context of the dieback-causing water mould Phytophthora cinnamomi, the history of coal extraction, and current energy distributions.
* We tried to film construction of new battery plants but were thwarted by security