“PD”—in this work, the abbreviation stands both for ‘per diem’ (German: ‘Reisekosten’) for a short trip into the psyche and alternatively for ‘psycho drapes’. “PD/Psycho Drapes” is the manifestation of an image idea that developed from the memory of the song ‘Psycho killer’ in the concert film ‘Stop Making Sense’ in the mid-1980s, when I listened to the song again after quite some time. Contrary to the track’s title, the lyrics delve into anxieties that plague the everyman, a psychological thriller set within the confines of one’s mind. It navigates a spectrum of emotional unrest, not necessarily linked to the extreme acts the title suggests but perhaps to the everyday ‘killings’—of spirit, of discourse, of connection—we encounter. ‘Psycho Killer’ turns the focus inwards, making listeners confront uncomfortable truths within themselves.

Our psyche is like a foggy swamp hidden behind closed drapes. It’s gloomy and uncomfortable, and when it comes forward, it looks as if the drapes have opened to another world. This is what “Psycho Drapes” picks up on—inspired by “Psycho killer”. The first thing you notice are the moorlands in the middle of the picture and the face of young David Byrne emerging from the haze. If you look at the face a little more closely, you can see that another face emerges in the lower half of the face, that of the old master of depth psychology, Sigmund Freud. This name/picture inevitably comes to mind when the term ‘psycho’ is mentioned. The drapes on the right are not completely open, things are still hidden. Behind the drapes on the left, which are also only partially open but partially transparent, ARSlohgo is also in the picture; after all, it was created in his head. He is watching this psycho scene on his smartphone. However, this image detail conveys more the impression of being trapped behind bars—locked up in his own psyche— with the distress call: “Get me outta  here”… The text phrase in the bottom right-hand corner is two lines from ‘Psycho killer’, whereby I have rephrased the second line in my own way.