The Future Boy

Chris Cunningham

Words: Shari Roman
Photo: Kiino Villand

 Chris talks about the body of his work...

Even now?

I'm only joking. I'm just someone who would rather stay in. I have to make an effort to be a social person in going out and having a social life. It's not what I would naturally do. I love it actually. I love the idea of disappearing. Disappearing and coming back with loads of stuff. The thing that really solved all of my problems is getting rid of my answering machine. I don't have an answering machine anymore. But as you get older, living in London you end up meeting more and more people and there are more and more opportunities to be out getting drunk [laughs] which make it harder to stay in and be a workaholic. The thing is, I'm terrified of not having enough time to explore all the things I want to do. As early as I can remember I was never able to sit still. Even if I go out to a pub, I still have to be drawing on a napkin -- I can't stand sitting and not doing anything.

How do you get your ideas?

Walking down the street, listening to music.

When you were a boy, you used to lay your head next to your dad's speakers with your eyes closed, picturing images to sound. What were you listening to?

Debussy. The thing that had the most influence on me, probably more than any film was an album, [by] Isao Tomita [1970's Japanese electronic musician] and he did analogue electronic renditions of classical music. He did an album called Snowflakes Are Dancing of Debussy's piano tone poems and when I was six or seven I used to listen that. It used to make me cry. It was absolutely the most amazing thing I had ever heard.

You've been quoted as saying that taking acid while listening to music has been a tremendous asset in carrying you furthest as an image-maker. Is that true?

When I was in my 20s, it was a really formative experience. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, but for me, it made music feel 3-D. Visually, I haven't come close, not even in the ballpark, of getting across how I saw things when I was tripping. I think that's why I've been getting into this new software, because I'm still kind of absolutely, bull-headedly determined to try harder to recreate the stuff I saw when I had that visual experience.

You drive yourself pretty hard...

Especially as I'm getting older, it really feels like there isn't enough time for everything I want to do. Life's so short. In fact the video that I'm making is based on being sick for four months when I was 13. I had glandular fever. Followed by mumps. It was horrible. I was off school for months, sitting in bed delirious. A hallucinogenic illness. I might as well have been taking fucking acid.

Have you ever thought about collaborating with someone?

Harmony Korine is the closest I've gotten to collaborating with someone. He's actually living across the road from me at the moment. I love Harmony. I love his films as well. He's someone who is interested in creating his own stuff. And he is also the complete opposite to me in that he relishes the culture. He soaks up loads of film and literature. In fact, one of the reasons I started watching old films is because he'd tell me about stuff he thought I'd like.

What does the future hold for you?

I haven't got a clue.

You sound like someone who trusts his instincts.

And whenever I don't, I regret it every time.