Sanborn John

Interview by Fanny Bauguil (VIDEOFORMES relay teacher) and Manon Derobert (VIDEOFORMES communications manager)

• How would you describe this installation? What do we see? What can we hear? What’s taking place?

In a dog dreams (of god) we see my make-believe intersection between the dreams of dogs, in particular my dog, Bella, and an anthropomorphic interpretation of their dreams. We hear a sonic collage created by composer David Van Tieghem, of the noise of the intersection between the worlds of humans and dogs, translated into what dogs hear and understand. And we smell what animals bring to our noses – fresh cut grass and dog poop.

• What is it about?
  

a dog dreams (of god) is an abstract meditation on the nature of animals, and the animal nature of humans. I would rather be a dog, in our toxic and unstable world. I do not want to scan social media, worry about money or politics – I just want to play, eat, poop and sleep. I want us to imagine being more like the animals we are, and less about “being human”, to slow down the pace of living and focus on what matters.

• Is this the first time this installation is presented to the public? Can you tell us a little about the process of developing the work to achieve this result?

a dog dreams (of god) was commissioned byt the media art museum ZKM in 2021 and premiered during my retrospective show there, in 2022.

The concept came to me as I watched my dog, Bella, sleep. She shifts and twitches, and makes sounds like murmurs from her dreams – and I wondered what she was dreaming about. For me, sleep is a passage to answers to the questions I ask myself each day, and I wake remembering some of what I dream, knowing that the mysteries of my dreams need to be uncertain. So, I projected human traits onto Bella, and became convinced that she was projecting dog traits onto me. This started our becoming joined, in her dreams.

• Which are the artists (all fields included) or more generally speaking, the artistic forms which nourish your creation, and possibly, the landmarks to which you refer in this installation?

 I once answered this question, asked by critic and artist Jean-Paul Fargier, by replying “I am influenced by everything!” To which he replied “to be influenced by everything is to say nothing”. Happily, I feel the same way now, but Jean-Paul has changed his mind.

I investigate the world we live in, the aspects of life we confront daily, and how we respond to those instances of existence. Our thoughts, feelings, ideas and reactions all go to make us who we are, although we don’t really know who we are, and that to me is the point. This journey will end only when we die, so I work to framing questions we should be asking ourselves, never providing answers, but urging us to be curious, not judgemental.

• What are the problems, the constraints, the challenges … you met during its elaboration?

I asked four dancers to play dog owners, and then to play their dogs – so that the physical, nonverbal aspect of how we live with our animals would be fun, truthful and very genuine. The work is silly in many ways, as the liberation of being a dog (something I dream of) is a kind of freedom we, as humans, can only dream of. Their love for me, unquestioned and devoted, is not possible for humans to express. To really get to the nature of my dogs, I rolled around with them in my backyard, playing, barking and getting dirty; and we both enjoyed this playtime.

• Can you give one or more internet links where we can see your work?

www.johnsanborn-video.com

• Can you give a few keywords that would fit well to your installation? 

Abstract, impressionistic, fun, evocative, free form, animalism, sensuality, nonverbal

• A few words on your artistic development? When, in your life, did you have an interest in digital art? Can you live from your art work?

My life as a media artist began in 1974, when I was 17, and met my great video master, Nam June Paik, in Paris.

• Do you mean can I make money making art ?
  

Sometimes, yes, but the skills and talent I have acquired can be applied in many ways. And I have the means and the opportunities to take advantage of every option that comes my way.