COURTSWRITES
Blink
A NORTHERN VOICES COMMISSION
Courtney ‘CourtsWrites’ Hayles interweaves film, spoken word and photography to explore the turbulent journey creators experience when faced with a blank sheet of paper. Set to dramatic music by Philip Glass, and featuring contrasting visual styles, ‘Blink’ explores the highs and lows of that process. The piece touches upon themes of vulnerability and substance abuse, self-belief and determination – opening up a window into an artist’s life.
Supported by The Granada Foundation
MEET THE ARTIST
Courtney ‘CourtsWrites’ Hayles. Photography: Brandina Chisambo
What inspired you to create ‘Blink’?
I wanted to create a piece that represents an artist’s commitment to his craft, which more often than not is completely overlooked. I wanted to be a voice for the artists who have stuck at their craft, day in and day out without the high praise of the Hollywood Walk of Fame – hustling, sweating and persevering in the belief that their time to shine will come. ‘Blink’ is my own walk of fame.
Looking through Manchester Collective’s catalogue, I chose to set the film to Philip Glass’s music. I was moved by the score progression in Company and how perfectly it aligned with the turbulence of my journey.
How important is it for you to step outside your comfort zone whenever you approach new work?
I think you should never become complacent, because if you get too comfortable in your form, you start to believe that's your ceiling. When I create new work, it’s important to remind myself that I am still a student of the arts. This approach keeps me sharp and committed to learning from innovators of the past, present and future.
‘Blink’ offers a perspective of the pain that the artist suffers in pursuit of his craft. Is this a personal reflection of your own form of writer’s block?
When I was tasked with coming up with an idea for this commission, I was very much slap-bang in the middle of my own writer’s block. I was uninspired and out of my depth with a limited knowledge of classical music. To top it off, my life was taking a personal downward turn. I always knew that the piece was somewhere in there, but it was about making a commitment to myself that I was going to create this commission driven by my emotions. I sat on my porch, awake in the middle of the night whilst the world was sleeping. That’s when ‘Blink’ arrived.
What are you hoping viewers will take away from it?
I hope they will gain a new understanding and appreciation that everything you see, everything you hear, and everything you touch has been created with the use of language and the written word as a starting point.
I’ve been writing for over 30 years and still get asked, “What do you do and how do you do it?” ‘Blink’ is my answer to this question.
How did the different elements – photography, film, spoken word – come together?
My intention was to create a sensory viewing experience that is similar to the feeling you get when you go to the cinema or view a piece of live theatre. It felt natural collaborating with Rikki Chan, as his photography detailing is breathtaking. My film sequences are inherently rough around the edges. The intention is to distort the viewers’ visual experience, so they have the artistic licence to switch between the spoken word, music, audible soundscape, and the visual elements. This to me felt much like theatre, where audience members leave with a different experience depending on their personal focus.
The word ‘blink’ is used repeatedly throughout the piece. Can you expand on the meaning of this?
In today’s world, consumers digest information in a matter of milliseconds before moving on. ‘Blink’ focuses on all the happenings in between the moment of realisation. It’s a reminder to enjoy and account for all of the ups and downs that you experience before you reach your destination.
At the end the narrator says, “I finish because I started… I started so I could finish”. What is the significance of this?
People rush wanting to get from A to B, but there’s a beautiful part in the middle, and this is knowing that you are present and alive in your greatness, and there is a fan out there cheering you on… And that fan is you, all the way to the finish line.
What’s next for CourtsWrites?
I’m in the middle of creating a body of work that’s my most explorative to date. Aside from that, I’m just enjoying creating and collaborating, learning and celebrating all that the beauty of art has to offer.
Interview by Ahisha Ghafoor
