Many claim to have the coolest job in the world, but Stephen Thomas Gallagher might just have a strong argument for that title.
He is known for designing live performances for Gorillaz and Lana Del Rey. His impressive portfolio includes constructing a striking London tower block, famously featuring a tube train embedded in it at Glastonbury, and recreating a piece of 1970s New York in London. For his latest endeavor, he took a thrilling helicopter ride over the Port of Los Angeles, with the doors off and Dr. Dre playing in his headphones, gliding between cranes that load shipping containers onto freighters.
In a recent interview, Gallagher described himself as just a regular person. Our conversation, spanning nearly an hour, veered away from the extravagant and delved into everyday life, including his recent bread-making endeavors.
"I baked some dough this week--making bread. It's something I hadn't done since the lockdown," he chuckled. "It's simple, but everything tastes better when it's homemade."
Later this month, Gallagher, the visionary behind one of the most ambitious audio-visual groups of the 21st century, is set to make his US gallery debut. He will showcase a one-night screening of Sunset: The Jubilation of the Baboons, a mesmerizing video piece that blends industrial aesthetics with dreamlike visuals. Scheduled for February 24 at The Pit in Los Angeles, this event signifies a new chapter in his solo career, marking the first segment of a 12-part series titled The Hours.
The trailer for the video transitions from aerial shots of the port, with its waters shimmering in pink and gold, to scenes featuring baboons--an unexpected yet fitting element. This combination is intentionally designed to evoke both tranquility and intrigue.
Gallagher's project originated in Coventry, England, where he was exploring the city's postwar reconstruction. He discovered a small engraving of Aton, the Egyptian sun god, hidden on the back of a pillar, which led him to delve into the Amduat, an ancient text charting the sun god's nocturnal journey.
He explained, "Amduat explores what occurs when we fall asleep, what happens upon death, and the journey through darkness to rebirth." In his modern interpretation, the vessel navigating through the night is not a mythical solar boat but rather a shipping container, symbolizing the interconnectedness of humanity.
Gallagher emphasizes that every item we order, from a kettle to an Amazon package, connects us all. "We know this connection exists, yet we often overlook it for convenience," he remarked.
To capture the essence of his film, Gallagher took to the skies in a helicopter during his time at Coachella in 2023. "The pilot asked if I wanted the doors off, and I eagerly agreed," he shared.
Flying low over the port, he maneuvered between cranes, laughing as he recalled, "I thought we might get shot down; it was an unbelievable experience." Additional footage was filmed back in Donegal, Ireland.
In a surprising twist, Gallagher edited the film while drifting into sleep, inspired by the concept of hypnagogia--the transitional state between wakefulness and slumber. He experimented with techniques used by artists like Salvador Dalí, who would doze off while holding keys, allowing them to drop and wake him at the brink of sleep.
Gallagher found that this state fostered creative problem-solving, leading to the structure of Sunset emerging from those unique sessions.
His approach to Sunset resonates with his previous work at Block9, the studio he co-founded, renowned for grand installations at Glastonbury. Notably, they created a full-scale New York street set that concealed a vintage gay nightclub.
With Gorillaz, Gallagher helped design a live show that encapsulated the essence of a "Demon Day," reflecting a seamless blend of time and space, inspired by a glitch in a server park. He admires the collaborative spirit of Damon Albarn, co-founder of Gorillaz, who embraces an adventurous approach to art.
Gallagher's solo work at The Pit shifts the focus inward, presenting a more intimate experience. Instead of grand installations, the audience is invited to engage with a single-channel screen and a soundscape that guides them into the depths of darkness.
Sunset: The Jubilation of the Baboons serves as a prologue to The Hours, capturing the essence of twilight before nightfall. Gallagher envisions the complete project as an immersive installation, allowing viewers to navigate through contrasting elements of light and shadow. "You can't have one without the other," he stated. "If everything is smooth, there's nothing to compare it to."
For now, he is satisfied with this initial step: a ship poised for departure, or an artist's mind beginning to drift into a realm of clarity.
