Screen time with Josef

 

....I am feeling quite foolish and also quite at something of a loss .... as I am staring at the monitor and hearing a disembodied voice in excited chatter

I have taken the “call” in the kitchen where Jörn set it up before taking off for one of his jogging meetings and leaving me in at a disadvantage wondering what I’m doing 

“We have been busy with keeping up with regulations,” Josef says vaguely, “as nobody quite understands —but it’s rather serious here at the moment ....so I am sorry I have taken longer for our chat,” he is saying as he seems to be moving around as he says this

but hazards of ADHD, I don’t comprehend quite what I’m looking at; there seems to be too much going on and adding to the oddity, I am using Jörn’s laptop that normally, he never lets me near. Besides that —I avoid doing this kind of thing 

and it seems Josef has walked away from his side of the camera.... and find ....I can’t understand what’s going on—

and no idea what or —why ? ....but what I am looking at?

Never mind the point, where exactly is this? But, really, I feel like I want to indulge him because it seems, in a funny way, rather sweet, isn’t it? I mean, I have missed him being around.  And he really seems so intent on showing me something

“Well, I can come here because, as you see, the place is empty— not including the phantoms and the ghosts—a meter and a half! I tell them to keep their distance too!” he is saying, as he chuckles loudly, “really, I think this is the safest place to be—no one has been here for months—I mean, if you don’t count Hamlet,” and here he laughs again

I catch a shadowy glimpse of him and then.... he disappears again —submerging into the darkness —then he reappears, reminding me of a kind of Houdini act, even as his voice continues on, talking away as with a lot of activity on his side of the screen. In fact, quite a lot of movement and sounds of bleeps, gashes of music, levers and switches being hit, echoing, clanging, his footsteps, props being moved.... and then! A bright white flash of light pops on; a round spotlight appears first alone in the blackness before more lights follow in a kind of picture spectrum of colors and all the time he is still talking from somewhere. It is only now when he adjusts the light then when I realize I am looking at a platformed stage. Oh.... then it occurs to me this must be the opera house as the focus is now clearer in the light

“....this is the orchestra pit,” he is saying as now a focused light appears he must be controlling and waves the light about like it is a pointer device as he now adds a sudden blast of some recorded music—yes! that I recognize! 

“Oh that’s....!” I start to say and move closer to the screen more curious and —now thinking I am starting to make sense of what this is about and maybe ....where this is going 

“Yes, it’s Jörn’s piece — actually, as a matter of fact, from that night,” he remarks with a kind of giggle as he adds, “I think we recorded that crack of lighting, if you listen....” he says all this from the reaches beyond as he has not returned to the camera’s angle

but I am wondering why he is showing me. Well, I mean, it is interesting. I’m entertained.  A good distraction. As it has been such a dreary wet day I think  ....as more lights come on and then go off, changing the atmosphere .... 

....until hmm, some image in the background is projected

“There!” he says and seems to move the focus or....? what is that? the image in the background now blown up and projected becomes more sharp 

“Oh my god....” I guess I actually gasp out loud because I realize —the image is mine. I mean— that is my painting he’s somehow projecting  ....or paintings.... why and how ....? one or two projected somehow and then overlaid —now three .... and somehow seem to take on a whole new life this way with the music, the stage and the mood

and .... 

I suddenly feel myself break into a sweat, now hyper aware as the music reaches a like a kind of level of hysteria ....or is it just me?

Gadgets indeed.... I am thinking