There was to be a full cast rehearsal today at 1715. At 1655, as I was about to leave, Max called to say it's now on tomorrow at 1800. There are little things like forward planning and advance notice that seem somewhat absent here.
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In a box of VHS tapes, I've found a copy of a film I made of an event at the gallery I co-ran, shortly before it closed, in 2001.
A group of local artists, mostly students, had got together with the idea of each making some work within an 8 hour period, using whatever material they could lay their hands on within that time, and having no plans for what they were to make before the event started. The next day a different group of artists would do the same thing, and then more for a week. Then all the works would be displayed together.
Apart from being nominal host to the event, I was asked to make a video record of what happened, just pointing the camera at whatever looked interesting at the time, and absolutely not editing afterwards. The result was to be shown as an exhibit.
I cast myself as investigative reporter/guide - the husky voiced TV presenter Cnut Clitorides, sniffing scandals that weren't there and interviewing artists in search of a tabloid story.
Among the exhibits there was:
* A white gorilla suit 'adorned' with 'marital aids', from a couple who were on friendly terms with a sex shop owner.
* A map of the solar system with a "Best of Perry Como" album as the sun.
* A video work of a human chalk outline drawn on the ground, that changed position at long intervals.
* A drawing of a girl, fitted with flashing red LEDs for eyes.
* An enormous pile of women's shoes
...and a load of other stuff, even wierder.
Five years ago. Seems like another world.
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EDIT: I'd completely forgotten about one of the exhibits - mine. A series of 12 images, so blurred and discoloured it was impossible to make them out, captioned with improbable descriptions, as through from a photograph album of incredible events.
"Me and the boys storming the gates of paradise","Me and dad standing on Neptune","Mum and Aunt Mabel setting Lenin right on Imperialism" etc.
My other contribution was a 12 minute techno track written 'on impulse' for the film. I'd been toying with the idea of composing some short pieces, with a common key and tempo, then mixing them into a longer track. A pseudomix, I called it.
3 of the 5 had vocals of some sort, and one of them seems worth reproducing for today's lyric.
Pseudomix 1, Part 4 - "Dealer Man"
Take a long walk
Don't go near the red light
Walk away this time
It's someone else's fight
Take your time in your hand
Standing on a street corner
Waiting for the dealer man
Take a chance, take a car
Put your foot down hard
Freedom on the motorway
But you won't get far
Take a magic carpet ride
Fly around a dead world
Think about suicide
Take a moment, think about
The last time you did this
Give your money, paying for
Another rock of bliss
Take a long walk
Don't go near the red light
Walk away this time
It's someone else's fight
Take your time in your hand
Standing on a street corner
Waiting for the dealer man
Take a chance, take a car
Put your foot down hard
Freedom on the motorway
But you won't get far
Take a magic carpet ride
Fly around a dead world
Think about suicide
Take a moment, think about
The last time you did this
Give your money, paying for
Another rock of bliss
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