Tricky Tales : MFA Essay by Nicola Godman

Abstract: This essay is a reflection on various layers which inform my artistic practice, and particularly expands on the background and research for my short film The Spirit, The Lamp & The Permanent Inhabitant. It's an attempt to describe how certain parts of my Gotlandic background influence and inspire my artistic practice, and also to show how reading, writing and critical reflection are important parts of my process. The essay pays tribute to an oral storytelling tradition that can be found on the island Gotland, Sweden, but is also an examination into how tourism has affected human relationships, and speculatively, the relationship between humans and ancient spirits.