ABOUT RHI.
ARTIST/FILMMAKER,
EVENT COORDINATOR,
LIFELONG CURATOR,
AND PROFESSIONAL TROUBLEMAKER.
Rhiannon Mudaliar.
/ɹi-ä-nɔn mʌ~ɐ-də-li-ä(ːə)r/
Proper Noun
1. An emerging creative, carving out a new niche in the ecology of Scottish
contemporary art.
I’m a freshly minted arts graduate with ambitions of saving the world! That’s not too overly ambitious for a debut project, is it?
Photography, poetry, and documentative art film are my mediums of choice. My work primarily concerns itself with uplifting marginalised groups, the rituals of intimacy, and the perpetuation, consideration, and photographic capture of queer joy.
When I’m not filming, writing, or reading, I like to knit. My bio here used to proclaim me a cat person, but I feel that has changed of late, thanks to a very small dog which recently entered my life. (You can see him featured on the homepage!)
I also consider myself now to be a coffee drinker, a habitual glass clinker, a recreational hooligan, and an avid videogame vivisector. I am queer, mixed race, unapologetically huge, and always looking for an excuse to dress up. It is my most dear belief that people, when given the chance, are just the absolute best.
Find me among the shelves at The Book Attic, working on Saturdays - or otherwise, at home, ensconced among many blankets and loved ones, most likely watching an animated classic.
Thanks for checking out my work! Get in touch if you fancy a chat.
All the best,
Rhi.
EXPERIENCE AND PREVIOUS WORK
FEATURE FILM: STELLA (2023)
PRODUCTION MANAGER
- MELECH Tel-Aviv International Film Festival Winner: Best Drama.
- Montreal Independent Film Festival, 2022 Winner: Best First Film.
I had the incredible experience of serving as production manager on an independent filmset. My tasks from day to day ranged from shepherding key actors to set in time for their call, capturing behind the scenes images and interviews, and ensuring clear communication between all departments, to sourcing all the vintage vehicles and classic cars for the production. It was deeply demanding, tiring work, providing incredible hands-on experience in working with a diverse team in a fast-paced environment.
THE FULL PICTURE
INDEPENDANT FILMMAKER
In autumn of 2020 I had the pleasure of working with Creative Dundee on The Full Picture. The experience required me to produce a high quality, atmospheric film within tight time constraints. I drew upon my own heritage and the history of the city for inspiration. The project is still officially pending release, but is comprised of two 20-minute artist interviews, and a short film, designed to be viewed along a walking route.
THE CRAWICK MULTIVERSE
I served as front of house and tour guide for Charles Jenck’s environmental art installation The Crawick Multiverse. I worked there for three summers, gaining experience in discussing and analysing sculptural an environmental art with visitors, and studying the 55 acre site. I was in charge of composing my own tours and the content therein. I also served as the on-site photographer for several events.
CAMPLE LINE
Working as an assistant under Tina Fiske, I was tutored in the processes required to run an independent cinema and gallery. Assigned tasks included assisting Tina with researching and obtaining the rights to screen various films at Cample Line, as well as learning how to invigilate a gallery space and monitor the lux and humidity levels within an exhibition to ensure the safety of the artwork. The experience allowed me to see first-hand several installations of contemporary art, learning about the artist and the content of the exhibition. Being introduced to gallery space in a professional and curatorial capacity widened my skillset considerably.
INSPIRATION
My work is informed by a great range of sources, from contemporary media to classical literature. As a child I had an intense love of video games, and it was this interest which started my research into the narrative construct of the Hero’s Journey, and Joseph Campbell’s concept of the Monomyth.
Shown above is a still from the opening sequence from Shigeru Miyamoto’s The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I played this game for the first time at seven years old, and it sparked an obsession which I suspect will last for the rest of my life.
FEATURED FILMS:
Moonrise Kingdom - Wes Anderson
Midsommar - Ari Aster
The Lighthouse - Robert Eggers
Mad Max: Fury Road - George Miller
To Kill A Mocking Bird - Robert Mulligan
Ratatouille - Brad Bird
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmaron - Lorna Cook and Kelly Asbury
Monty Python and the Holy Grail - Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam
The Bicycle Thieves - Vittorio De Sica
2001: A Space Oddessy - Stanley Kubrick
The super cut above opens with one of Moonrise Kingdom’s more famous shots. I’ve been captivated by Wes Anderson’s quirky style, vivid colour grading, and charming romances since I first saw this film, and it remains one of my favorites today.
Horror as a genre fascinates me. Film has no shortage of crude, badly made horror, but in recent days the genre has made a spectacular comeback. Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, Jordan Peele’s Us, and other contenders such as Ari Aster’s Midsommar and Robert Egger’s The Lighthouse, both featured above comprise some of the previous year’s best cinema in my opinion.
Respect for the classics and a wide visual library are two things I feel are vital in the study of film. I’ve been watching To Kill a Mockingbird with my mother since I was too young to understand it, but in my exploration of fine film a picture I particularly enjoyed was Vittorio De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves. Captivating and beautifully shot.
I have a lot of love for animated features - the films I grew up watching. As I developed my tastes and gained a deeper understanding of cinema, I came to appreciate the films of my childhood in entirely new ways.
Likewise with Monty Python and the Holy Grail, a seminal piece of nerd culture. Its real brilliance lies not in the quotability of its many memorable lines, but the way in which the Pythons subverted expectations and used the nuance of editing and the meta-narrative of filmography for comedic affect.
Beyond film, I have broad tastes, and am always working to expand my visual library. From Diane Arbus to the Impressionists, James Baxter’s animations to Andy Goldsworthy’s sculptural works, I have a wide appreciation for different disciplines.
I’m also a great fan of Alphons Mucha. Art Nouveau artwork can be found hung all around my front room. Seeing In Quest of Beauty, an exhibition of Mucha’s work on display at Kelvingrove Art Gallery in 2016, was a pleasure and the resolution of a long held dream for me. I was amazed so many of his designs were gilded, having only ever seen paper copies.
ESSAYS
The analytical skills to fully consider and interpret works of art are vital in the production of ones own work. For this reason I put a great deal of time and pride into essay writing. You can read two of my works below.
FROZEN IDENTITIES:
Diane Arbus and her study of the human condition.
A study of Diane Arbus’ photographs, from objective and philisophical perspectives.
VISUAL NARRATIVE GRAMMAR:
As used in Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatbsy.”
A study of a scene in The Great Gatsby using Visual Narrative Grammar.
