As a classically trained composer she fuses traditional instruments and orchestration with applications of digital technology. The work is an ongoing exploration of human identity, particularly our hidden lives and emotional landscapes and is often melancholic and epic in scale.
She completed her training at the National Film and Television School where she developed a passion for the merging of image, movement and music. She uses film and video in her work, often digitally manipulated and re-coloured, to inject a sense of hyper-realism, nostalgia, loss and hope into the pieces.
She has collaborated on a variety of projects with games developer and researcher Dan Pinchbeck since 2003, including a series of experimental game mods. The latest of these, Dear Esther, was selected for Prix Ars Electronica 2008 and has already been downloaded over 10,000 times. They have recently been commissioned to create a new experimental game mod: Korsakovia, designed to investigate how players cope when normal anthropomorphic cues attached to agents are removed.
She has exhibited internationally and has received commissions, residencies, grants and awards from organisations such as the The Wellcome Trust, The Royal Society of Arts, PVA, Werkleitz Gesellschaft, Labculture, Arts Council England, Hull Time Based Arts, Exeter Phoenix, CIBAS and Arts and Technology Partnerships. She was the first ever Artist in Residence at the New Media Centre at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London and was also selected for the European Media Artist Residency Exchange programme in Germany.
Her latest film, i carry your heart, was shown around the world in 2008, including the prestigious Kassel Documentary Film and Video Festival; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Venezuela; several festivals in Germany; Poland; India and in the UK. She has recently been selected for the Berlinale Talent Campus 2009, a six day international creative summit in conjunction with the Berlinale Film Festival. She also sits on the Board of Directors for PVA Media Lab, Dorset.
We Are the Pig
Jessica Curry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I must say Mr Mandus, my excitement is almost unseemly.
Yes, I can see that. Step this way Professor. I will be right behind you.
Mandus? Mandus, where the devil are you? I can't see a damn thing. Mandus!
The lyrics in Jessica Curry's song "We Are the Pig" are a part of a game soundtrack, specifically for "Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs," and they contribute to building up the story of the game's plot. The overall mood of the music is eerie and mysterious, like something out of a horror movie. In these lyrics, we hear a conversation between two characters: Mr. Mandus and Professor. The Professor is excited to meet Mandus, who is a great engineer, and Mandus leads the Professor somewhere, with him trailing behind. However, after Mandus disappears, the Professor asks where he is, and Mandus responds, "We are the pig, Professor. We are all the pig."
The line "We are the pig" is particularly thought-provoking. It ties back to the game's central theme, which is examining humanity's relationship with technology and how we can become consumed by it in ways we never thought possible. The concept of being "the pig" is perhaps alluding to the idea that we are all subjects to some sort of experiment with technology, like lab rats or pigs used in scientific testing. This could be viewed as a commentary on the dangers of letting technology control our lives and ultimately leading to a potential downfall.
Overall, these lyrics are dark and cryptic, yet they provide insight into the game's narrative and its underlying themes. Through the dialogue between the characters, the listener can get a sense of the story's tension and intrigue, and the music captures the feeling of being caught up in something that is larger than ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
I can meet him? Your great engineer? How marvellous!
Expressing enthusiasm about meeting someone important and skilled.
I must say Mr Mandus, my excitement is almost unseemly.
Acknowledging that one's eagerness may be excessive.
Yes, I can see that. Step this way Professor. I will be right behind you.
Agreeing to accompany someone and offering assistance.
Mandus? Mandus, where the devil are you? I can't see a damn thing. Mandus!
Calling out for someone who is lost or missing.
We are the pig, Professor. We are all the pig.
Reflecting on the universality of suffering and mortality.
Contributed by Jason K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.