Vid-ya Art: a workshop.

Today I went to a video workshop put on these girls that go under the name Girls Get Busy.

I was a bit weird at first cause I didn't know what was going on, a few technical issues and everyone there knew each other so it was a bit strange. BUT - the whole thing was awesome and thought provoking and inspiring and weird and all that shit.

It's great how people just accept who they are and what they are doing. Well, I guess you have to define yourself when you are in a place like London. There was a showing of work from a bunch of varied video artists, then a break, then a showing of some work by some artists/directors who were at the viewing, and then a discussion with them at the end. There was also a video booth that people could go and record something in, but I didn't feel like I could be a part of it. Well, I could of but I couldn't be bothered.

SCREENSHOT OF INFO.

OK, now I'm gonna try and find some of the videos online. OK YAY! First off - these are the people who talked.

Right - Margarita Louca. She's a pretty strong lady. She started out doing graphic design and then thought Fuck it, I'm gonna hit film hard. And did! She started out learning technical stuff and then got more into the process. I overheard her chatting to someone that she is gonna be making the live visuals for the NEXT METALLICA TOUR. WAAAAAHHHH~?




She talked about how she gets invited to make responses to things (she doesn't exclusively do that though). I wondered about whether this was totally egotistical or utterly human. Wanting to connect but wanting to be important to someone.
And some other stuff too. She likes to make works that are emotive and not narrative (but does both). Cool story thanks Gemma. One of the videos she played doesn't seem to be online, but it was a response to the latest Werner Herzog film Into the Abyss.

Nell Eu played us her short film "Spit". I tried to find it online but couldn't. She deals with more narrative based stuff. It's so weird that all these people have DOP's and stuff like that. It's like, in NZ you have to just budgo your way through everything, while here people are IN THEIR ROLE. Not a bad thing, but makes me want to focus.

And then there wasss Alison Severs! She works at Vice and produces Cute Stuff. She also does other work like making this documentary on Krokadil in Siberia. We only watched the last 10 minutes but it was grueling.



The she also does stuff like this. KIDS RESPOND TO PARANOID ANDROID.


Someone asked about the humour in the second one, fuck I can't remember specifically what the question was, but it almost felt like the last video was the one that got the biggest response. Hoomer is important.

I dunno, maybe some of the other videos were trying to convey EMOTIONS, or be emotive, but were a bit contrived, or just kind of failed. The simple video and the humour were so natural that it just kind of made everyone at ease. I don't think you have to be the best actors in the world to get the message across properly - maybe just the best director?

It's like, when you see someone who is perfect I always want to see the imperfect in them. Like if someone spends hours straightening their hair, I love seeing the tiny little crimpy bit that they missed. In those videos where you are trying to create these honest emotions/stories there always seems to be a bit of failure in them.

That doesn't mean I'm totally writing the others off, cause I enjoyed most of them, but I always look at "art that looks like art" with a suspicious eye.

Annnnnnd - It was at the Shackwell Arms, which is a pretty sweet place.

The ICA Remote Control exhibition - HALLELUJAH!

London can really be a bit overwhelming. It's like, there is so much shit on, what should I do?

So I decided to bite the knuckle on it's head and GO OUTSIDE. HALLELUJAH!

I went to the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA). It's pretty cool and small enough so that you can actually take everything in.

The exhibition on at the moment is called Remote Control, and is about the impact that TV has had on culture and artists. MY CUP OF TEA COMPLETELY!!! As well as physical objects it had VIDEO AAARRRRTTTT. Hallelujah again!

And hey look - who's work is this??

SIMON DENNY! HE IS FROM NZ!! OK I still get chuffed every time I see anything to do with NZ. I've always loved Denny's work. I remember one of his works in Prospect in Wellington. He had a mat and some ball bearings - but I can never find anything about it on the internet. If you can point me towards something relevant that would be cool.

I was going to google a list of works that I saw and put them up, but I came across this great playlist that the ICA had put together a playlist that is relevant to the show. Enjoy!

Also - here are some pictures of the floor cause it was cool.

 

Then I ended up going out on the town, but more about that later... 

First Fursday Fail

So I told you about how I was going to go to First Thursdays, right? 

Well I did go with my friend Sasha (who I still have to blog about ok), but little did I realise that you REALLY have to plan when you are going out.

We went around Redchurch St:

And it was all well and good, but yeah it seems like you actually have to really really, really plan where you head for the night. Even though there seems like there is a lot going on over the city (when you look at the big map it's real chocka), IRL it's always a lot further than you think it's going to be!!

A lot of the art was shit. There was one painting show where the painter was trying to be expressionist but it was way too calculated... it was trying to be raw without any of the energy or excitement in the marks. Booooring. Art that is trying to be ART but is (f)art.

BUT - we did come across this. 

Swiiiiinnnnnggggs! YAY! Art that isn't so dry that you feel like you are running your tongue across the Sahara.

This dude called Will Cruickshank made this work called 'Swing Time' at Studio 1.1 gallery. 

We first walked in to the room and saw images like this one below along the wall. Wamp wamp. Looked like boring computer drawings.

Then you see two people on some swings. What's the correlation??!!

TA DA! 

Basically what people do is swing together on the swings that Will has made, and how they swing together dictates a drawing. Two needles get put down on two plates covered with acrylic paint (that's the thing below in the picture), and as the people swing it moves the needles around.

It was just kinda nice, ya know. So the boring drawings at the beginning were actually these lovely works created by a relationship you have with someone. And even though when you first see the drawings it seems kinda lame, it's nice to know that people have this little secret about why this thing is special.

Oh art!

Crazy Cat Lady day two.

I'm gonna call this guy Mr Smoosh. Just cause that's what he feels like he should be called. 

OK another thing that is amazing about London apart from the frequency of cat visits is that you can turn a corner and then BOOM - you are surrounded by art. 

Like check out this little alley way I happened to turn down in to one day. Little dongle ding dongs hanging all down the alley way! Secret art! Fudgecicles I wish I could remember where it was, but all the streets start looking the same after a while. It's pretty disorientating.

I love the mish mash of it all. All old and new stuff just smooshed together like it ain't no thang.

Like this:

SMOOSH. OK maybe I need a better examples. I'll take some photos of the architectural smoosh soon.

I was walking to the Tate one day with my friend Meg and all of a sudden BAM - we walk under a bridge and look up there is a huge net of programmed lights making all these patterns in the underside of the bridge. Wish I had taken a photo but I was a bit spell bound by the whole thing and forgot. London, you get a big YUS from me for that.

Thirst Thursdays

Woah I just came up with that title just now - I'm punny as!! OK I haven't explained the pun yet, but I'll explain on the way and seriously, you will just crack up as much as I did!

OK so it seems that the first Thursday of every month in East London where I live they have a thing called First Thursdays (BOOM! There's the premise of the joke - more to be explained in a minute) which is where art galleries open up late and serve BOOZE (TA DA! Sigh of relief that joke is now fully realised).

Here's the link oi.

I'm coming up to my first real fair dinkum one this week. I'll have to take some pictures and make a b-log about it, but I love it how just in one quarter there can be this huge art event every month! I mean, at the moment I am working in a solo studio space in a building with all artists and musicians!! WHHAAAT?!?!

Me celebrating life with Sasha

I know I should elaborate but I've been running around all week tubing and carrying buttloads of shit. Even though London is great, it totally rinses you out. I've got blisters on me feet and hands just from going to the supermarket. WTF. 

Anyway - gonna watch some BBC now.

Here's a picture of my second visitor (Sasha was the first - more on her soon).

SPOT DA PUSS! 

Creative Capital oi oi oi

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! ANYTHING IS PROBABLE!

A group called Concerned Citizens who, from what I can tell, are situated in Wellington are starting up 19 Tory St - a radically participatory "...space for open-source art, learning, music, exhibitions, workshops, film screenings, talks, markets and more."

Photo by Arlo Edwards

Fuck it sounds awesome. They have open Google docs (I love that shit) and are wanting everyone who can to get involved. DO IT!

CRACKA BONZA DUDES! Although I love Wellington to pieces, it always seemed like it was a place where you were paid like you were in a small town in NZ, and it charged the prices that Auckland people pay. How are you supposed to stimulate a vibrant cultured city if the rent is so high that you can't even begin to think that you could start an artist run space yourself! Or have a studio to work in! Or buy a coffee at a cafe to sit at, get ya moleskin out and think about ways of conquering the world! LOL.

Thanks to Letting Spaces this stupid rule has been broken, and it seems like the Creative Capital can finally start living up to its name oi.

I know it's unfair to make those assumptions and shit cause I know I could have put more energy into it and done something myself, but I almost felt defeated by it all. Now I'm spoilt for choice aren't I. Aren't I? Something I have realised while being over in London is that if you have an idea, ROLL HARD WITH IT. I don't know why it has taken me a trip half way across the world, but suck it up it did ok?

BLANK CANVAS!

If you are in Wellington you should check out the launch of 19 Tory St. Way to make me jealous of not being in NZ, dudes.