Rona in the Garden
Rona in the Garden is an invitation to Spring, to Oakland, and to seek sacred natural space wherever you can find it. Ambient sounds of East Oakland - car horns, backyard chickens, buzzing bees and chirping birds - blend with the Prelude to Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel’s Afternoon of a Faun performed by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
A note from Justine
I stole this record from my grandparents’ basement when I was a teenager. It was originally pressed in 1960. I created the films’ soundscape by recording the vinyl record as it played in my living room and overlaying it with the environmental backyard noise. The bent records’ crackles and pops were intentionally included to respect and acknowledge the life of the vinyl. It’s lived 63 years, much longer than I.
Contradictory to imagery in the news, Rona in the Garden immerses the viewer in the simple beauty and safety of a backyard refuge in Oakland, CA. Frolic, observe, and witness the birth of Spring alongside a cat. Rona’s curious nature reflects the innocence and purity of the natural world that she explores. The backyard is seen as it is - small, raw, unkempt, equipped for utility; the viewer is reminded this sacred space sits amidst a bustling city.
Come, sit with us in the garden.
