"A new species with a unique culture, and their own forms of communication. Here we see them at their most intimate with the ritualistic 'Euphoric Cell Exchange'."

 

‘Euphoric Cell Exchange’, as a term, describes the unidentified species version of sexual relationships in ‘Intimate Jelly’s’ constructed narrative broadly based on the human experience.

 

The two-minute video is an exploration of human sexuality in relation to ideas from Queer Theory and the restrictive way people are culturally conditioned to think about gender, biological capacities, and body image in comparison to biological ‘abnormalities’, nature, and animal sexuality. It is an overall comment on the Othering of ‘queerness’.

 

‘Intimate Jelly’ has constructed an uncanny and discomforting new species to portray this exploration, using intense colour saturation and surreal imagery accompanied by hyperactive audio. Natural bodily fluids usually socially seen as taboo are intensified, becoming overly abject, through the use of sticky and slimy, wet substances. The energetic audio consists of distorted moans and wet sounds, adding to the revulsion... The event of Birth and Re-birth is a truly beautiful, once-in-a-lifetime experience.  

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"Intimate Jelly is made up of a group of six, second year, Fine Art BA students studying at Arts University Bournemouth. The collaborative group, Intimate Jelly evolved from a project titled ‘Cultures of Nature - Nature has always been Queer’. Using Queer theory, we explored the factors that determine sexual attraction and the restrictive way we are culturally conditioned to think about gender, biological capacities, and body image in comparison to biological ‘abnormalities’ and nature." - Anya Bliss