Breaking Even (For Pattie)

DVD, 3:32 (looped)

The audio in Breaking Even (For Pattie) is a synthesis of two of Eric Clapton's songs for Pattie Boyd: Bell-Bottom Blues (1970), a piece about his then-unrequited love for her, and Wonderful Tonight (1977), a paean to their later marital bliss. Although the songs are somewhat contradictory in regard to content, they are formally very closely related, and here they are re-scored and combined as a means of "averaging" the two sentiments.  The intention is to underscore the impossibility of effectively describing one’s subjective, emotional experience.

The video was filmed in Reykjavik, where incoming waves are frequently held at bay by strong opposing winds, and the two forces become engaged in a continual lockstep.