Sara Swarlis
BFA Art Education
Artist Statement
My senior thesis is a series of short films or episodes called Insomnia Adventures. Insomnia Adventures follows the lives of Sam, a girl who represents myself, her teddy bear, Mr. Fluffy, and the Insomnia Monster. Sam has trouble sleeping because she is constantly being chased by the Insomnia Monster, a manifestation of the things she thinks about when she can’t sleep. The thing about these films is that all of the adventures taking place are happening inside Sam’s mind. I show this by switching back and forth every so often to remind viewers that on the surface, Sam is still in her bedroom struggling to sleep. In her mind, we see her doing things like talking to Mr. Fluffy, walking through her favorite movie, or being chased around her mindscape by the Insomnia Monster. These adventures represent the things I think about when I’m struggling to sleep. My goal is to create this skewed version of reality that’s almost dreamlike because these adventures are happening in Sam’s head, and she’s got a wild imagination, which is why they can seem so realistic.
MEDIA GALLERY: INSOMNIA ADVENTURES
Click through the embedded PDF to read more about the characters of Sara's thesis project, then scroll down to watch videos. Click the icon at the bottom right-hand corner to view in fullscreen mode.
