A 360° film using the landscape of an active volcano. Iddu was shot in late 2004 on the Italian island of Stromboli, a small conical land mass formed by 2.5 millennia of constant volcanic activity. Stromboli (locally referred to as 'Iddu', meaning ‘him’ in Strombolian dialect) assumes the leading role in the artwork as the artist responds to the seductive combination of intense beauty and the thrill of danger after witnessing Nature’s unpredictable, awe-inspiring demonstration of supernatural energy.

The work references landscape - honed by time, powerful volcanic explosions, stormy winds and restless seas - as a metaphor for the human psyche and the acquisition of wisdom– or scientia sacra. The film consists of a combination of 360-degree and 180-degree panoramic multi-camera views captured on Super-8 film. Slowly unfurling they reveal an enveloping vista portraying a place of sanctuary suited to carefree daydreams, or a precarious spot beside a threatening cauldron of glowing molten magma. Graham effectively conveys an understated knowledge after working briefly with the local volcanologists, capturing images of explosive activity with ultra-high speed cameras triggered remotely by a seismometer.

Further collaboration with the celebrated Japanese sound artist Akio Suzuki has provided Iddu with a highly individual soundtrack that combines the natural sounds of the island including those of the volcano itself, with the haunting music of an ‘Analapos’ - an instrument built by Suzuki to capture the sound of the wind at specific locations on the island. This work was made over a four year period.
Graham admits that it has been a veritable quest, with many ‘pilgrimages’ to the edge of the crater. The end result is a contemplative piece that challenges the viewer to consider the dichotomy of beauty and danger as well as the interaction of natural forces that make up the earth, over which mankind has no control.