Stewart Lane
LIMINAL


Stewart Lane Music
Composer Performer Cultural Activist
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Liminal
release date 2017


Artwork by Chico
Notes
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OUR WORLD is pivoting between the ever-growing complexity of technology and a yearning for simplicity. We’ve created societies that are rife with paradox, where every individual finds themselves navigating a spectrum of opposing forces:
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Internal equilibrium versus constant external sensory overload
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Ecological sensitivity versus rampant economic exploitation
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The need to conserve versus built-in obsolescence
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Individual self-expression versus collective conformity
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Libertarianism versus increasing state control
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Outdated work culture versus the pursuit of a fulfilling life
Clearly, there are no simple answers or quick fixes. Every sphere of human activity has either reached a threshold or is undergoing significant transition. But in the absence of clear direction or defined approaches, many people panic and rush the process, often steering us into riskier territory. Instead, might we find a way to accommodate this growing complexity and allow it to coexist with our lives?
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"Things that once seemed like simple on/off or black/white choices have proven to be gradients—points on a broad spectrum. We're increasingly required to navigate these nuanced differences in areas we nostalgically believed were once less complicated. This stands in stark contrast to the binary systems that dominate the industrialized world, particularly in technology, where binary logic remains the default. Humans are at odds with the very systems we’ve created." (Giles Lane)
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We tend to gravitate toward absolutes, driven by a deep-seated need for certainty. From relationships—whether personal, local, national, or international—to lifestyle choices, work culture, politics, social inequities, and our environmental impact, everything seems to have entered a state of ambiguity, offering starkly opposite directions. This ongoing flux, this liminality, leaves many unsettled.
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Humanity is now facing a global epidemic of stress and anxiety—a mental health crisis rooted in our social structures, expectations, and behaviors. Most people feel trapped in a reality they never consciously chose, conditioned from birth to accept a system that doesn't always align with their true needs.
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Modern practice often emphasizes immediate action and short-term gain. There's an obsession with making 'value for money' and 'financial sense,' yet it’s becoming clear that what is financially viable doesn’t always align with ecological or social sense. If we measured financial value against ecological and social impact, it would likely not 'make financial sense' at all.
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If, as many do, we pause to ask ourselves a simple yet profound question—"What are we really in this life for?"—our initial answer might be uncomfortable. But if we’re willing to look deeper, the consequences could lead to irreversible changes in how we structure our society. We might begin to cultivate conditions that support all of humanity and the other life forms we share this planet with, even if those conditions don't conform to the financial metrics we've come to worship.
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Thus, we find ourselves in a global state of limbo. Much is in flux, formless and ambiguous, rupturing and dissipating. The norms we once relied on are faltering, and radical displacement is affecting millions of people worldwide.
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Is there an alternative perception—a positive, hopeful place where we can step into the richness and diversity of the world and embrace it fully? Can we live within its complexities and divergences without feeling the need to "fix" everything all the time? I believe that liminal states offer powerful opportunities to review, reflect, and simply be. Learning to stay within these states, to allow ideas and feelings to flow without being obsessed with outcomes, goals, or resolutions, can be incredibly liberating.
For many artists, liminal states are a daily reality. These thresholds are crossed in order to reach a state conducive to creativity. I am currently developing a project inviting anyone interested to explore the personal, social, and political dimensions of liminal states—and how we can use them to create communities that live, love, and work in harmony with themselves and with nature.
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LIMINAL is not only a sound and song-based work; it’s a project aimed at exploring the potential of creating mindful, liminal spaces within dense urban environments. Through this, I hope to provide a space for people to reflect on and navigate the complexities of our rapidly changing world.