christchurch mother fucker

Audrey did another tour. The Christchurch Free Bus did its route. I was there taking pictures. Audrey had a folder with some notes in it, and a sign that said "free tour" facing the street. About a minute into getting on the bus she started reading off her notes. I think people were more irked by my camera than by the well-dressed hobo talking to herself at the back of the bus... Oh well. The worst bit was when the bus was packed out and there was only one seat left, and it was next to Audrey, with my camera pointing straight at her ... the girl looked terrified...
lol this dude'd seen crazier shit...Pretty Audrey + Bus decor
He was nice but kicked us off...
Not really, it was the end of the night 4 him...
haha this guy knows he's having his pho-to taken. I think he feels famous.
Sweet neon. Strippers, sex-shops, closed jewelers, take-away etc. This bridge is the one from Ballantynes to the Bus Exchange over Lombo.
So you may be aware that "REAL PEOPLE" is only one half of the proposed project by Carmela Gross. The other half, "ARE DANGEROUS" was to be put on another over bridge in the city. Fucking Christchurch City Council decided the word DANGEROUS was too um, well.... dangerous. Now if that's not a knee jerk! I was somewhat disappointed at the resignation of the people in the panel discussion on the opening weekend, if I hear one more "it generated discussion" or "a good failure, it tells us something" I'm going to vomit. It looks like these people were saying "Who is this girl??!!" But they weren't.

Swish urban shot. Speed etc.

Christchurch vernacular!!!??? Whoops! How did that get in there?

I'll let the vids to the talking. But it was real swell just catching snippets of what she said as your mind wandered off or whatever. Some people came specially to see Audrey. That was really nice. Because she was "in the zone" they told me to tell her that they really enjoyed the tour, and that there were great word-pictures. I agree. The content matched the circulating nature of the vehicle (literally!) of it perfectly. Thank you Audrey lady. X
Also, thanks Jim and Mary for the kind kind words.....see here.

Joep van Lieshout in the house...

So, an anonymous tipoff lead me to the unveiling of Joep van Lieshout's work in the Cathedral Square (it was stuck in a crate somewhere for a while, so unfortunately didn't make it to the Opening Weekend) at 4pm today.


What's under the sheet aye...?


Could it be...an...artwork...?


Anthony Wright- putting in the hard work. He doesn't just wear pretty suits. He's into carrying stuff too.


And Deborah McCormick, not just a pretty face. She was putting in the hard yards.


John Sellwood from Closeup. This guy doesn't just read the news. He *gets* it.


Finally, Danae Mossman. Serious about making art happen.


Ooooo, the Big Reveal...


And *finally*. The sperm we were all hoping and dreaming off.


In all it's purple glory. Under it, lie all the people that opposed it going in the Square. They were swiftly wrapped in fibreglass and made a part of the work.


Some dude hanging ten inside. He was quickly told to get the hell out of there by a burly security guard.


John Sellwood doin some advertising for watchthisscape (note the free tour guide in his hand, conveniently open on *our* picture.


Some babes, riding he sperm.


Everyone, inside!


Unfortunately, the sign was pretty hard to peel off.

Oh the spectacle! The anticipation! The ranting preacher wasn't too impressed, but it did give him something to talk about. Gotta love the folk of Christchurch. x

STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER

Marjorie Cook, as part of Marnie Slaters Free Tours project did a tour of Paul John's inspired re-installation of Yoko Ono's plaque gifted as a tribute to John Lennon and what he stood for. I was at a concert by Lucky Dragons and I think the collaborative nature of it really rubbed off; a guy came up to me and asked if it was me who did the tour of Paul John's Strawberry Fields Forever (my picture is next to where it is advertised in the brochure), and seeing as I'm not Marjorie, and he claimed to be The Beatles' "Biggest Fan" AND is in a tribute band to them (!) we got to...collaborating, we thought how great it would be if there was another more joyous celebration with his band and a rerun of Marjorie's tour, which originally took place just after the official morning tea at the opening weekend. I think this is a great idea! But in case it doesn't happen within the parameters of SCAPE Marjorie has kindly reproduced her transcript for us. Thanks Marjorie :) And Enjoy....

STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER

“Strawberry Fields Forever”, the title of John Lennon’s 1966 song, takes its name from a children’s home in Liverpool, close to where John lived. John was brought up as an only child by his aunt and uncle and he used to enjoy going there to play with the other children. His aunt disapproved, but he still wanted to go and felt it was, “nothing to get hung about”.

Years later “Strawberry Fields Forever” was to become one of the many well-known songs performed by the Beatles.

The name has also been given to a memorial for John Lennon in Central Park, New York. After John was assassinated in 1980, his widow, Yoko Ono, provided a $1 million endowment as seed money for what she called an "international peace garden" which included 161 different plants, one from each nation of the world. The memorial features a stunning circular mosaic, where fans leave flowers, pictures and tokens in memory of John Lennon. The mosaic is made of black and white Italian marble with the word "IMAGINE" spelled out in the centre -- the title of John's poignant song, about his dreams for a better world.

In 1990, to mark the tenth anniversary of John Lennon’s death, Yoko Ono approached cities around the world, suggesting that they erect a plaque in John’s memory.

As a result, a “Strawberry Fields Forever” plaque was installed in Little North Hagley Park, Christchurch, and was surrounded with strawberry plants. The plaque was unfortunately removed some time during the intervening years, but now, through the vision and energy of Paul Johns, and the 2008 Scape Biennial of art in public space, it has been re-instated as we see it today.

John Lennon believed in, sang about, and stood for, world peace.

This plaque keeps alive the memory of John Lennon and what he believed in.

It provides a connection with people the world over who strive for peace, and those who visit here are reminded of his message:

Imagine all the people Living life in peace You may say that I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will be as one \

To quote Liz Gogerly, in her book, “John Lennon: Voice of a generation”: “In many ways, John will always be here, in his music, and [in] his words. John would have been happy with that – he often said the message was all that mattered.”

And John Lennon’s message lives on here today.

Marjorie Cook, Scape 2008

http://www.dailycelebrations.com/020801.htm

Thanks Marjorie :)

Callum Morton's work and stuff...

So I went to see Callum's work at 424 CAshel Street and Oh Em Gee a *huge* mother fucking rock had crashed through the fricken roof. No wonder he was there trying to fix it. See earlier posts for specific reference.


Check it- four two four Cashel, if you're driving from the city, you have to keep going, pass through Fitzgerald, on your right hand side.


Admiring from afar...


Yeah, the glass was uber shiny, hard to get a photo up close but...


...ahhhh, there we go. Wow, what artists can do with a bit of polystyrene and some gorilla filla.


And this is the house next door. It's really quite nice, but doesn't have a front lawn (in this hood, kids play on stones. old school). The lady who lives inside is aparently quite fond of the work, and even invited volunteers installing the work over for tea.

Actually, i used to jam with a band a few doors down from this house a few years back, and sometimes used to wait for rides on the corner. I *do* *not* suggest hanging about by yourself here at nights. unless you are a large black man. Because sometimes scary people creep up on you, and then all over a sudden, just as you turn around, BAM! it's like the freaky tar man from Mulholand Drive all over again. Bring your pepper spray ladies. Trust Me.

Anyways, so now there are great hunks of polystyrene in our studio as a fellow sculpture student Matt Akehurst helped Mr Morton to build the thing, and was fortunate enough to grab some left over bits. The fist fights breaking out over the stuff! Expensive and not cool for the environment.

Now for obligatory house keeping....

Check out the Scape site, they've just updated and you can win a bike! No shit a *bike*. Check it out. http://www.scapebiennial.org.nz/

Also, we are being blogged about here http://best-of-3.blogspot.com/2008/09/blogging-scape.html wow blogging about blogging Caray-zee. It's actually quite nice. Read it.

That is all. Interview with Biker Girl 2008 on its way... x

scones: the thinking man's strawberry pie?

PAUL JOHN, Strawberry Fields Forever: A Celebration. 10am Saturday, 20 October.



I arrived late.. So I may have missed something. But I was expecting more of an event to be honest. The scones were delightful, but they're no strawberry pie. The small marqee was plain and unadorned, there were no picnic blankets, and no music. So I quess the take on it was more intellectual, like, we're all thinking people in the 21st C thinking seriously about the Beatles ideological achievements in the realm of peace, love and substance abuse. It certainly bypassed twee ... but I think perhaps the message may have stuck around a bit longer with the visual aid of a gussied up tent, and maybe someone playin the guitar... call me old-fashioned.

[BTW I stood on a plant. Sorry, it is quite inconspicuous. But this is nothing to a Watch This Scape tip-off that Dannae Mossman, no less, TRIPPED OVER THE PLAQUE, SPILT HER CHAI ON IT AND LANDED ON THE PLANTS.  If you have photo documentation of this, or any other incriminating, SCAPE-related incident, we want to hear from you. watchthisscape@gmail.com]

FIRST SHINY GOLD BAG SPOTTED! I LUST

Ladiez about town: Annie (aforementioned bike post) and Chloe. Sweet pic!
Chloe is a talented lass, wrappin up the 4th year of her Ilam odyssey in shiny GOLD paper, while painting the town GOLD. Aside from her happening research for school she is also a legit Art School Scape Volunteer. A fan of Erkmen's work, Chloe's hand shot up to apply her well-honed Macbook skills to this artist's project Every Bag Counts for Scape; shiny GOLD printed bags circulating from various reputable Christchurch retail stores, for the full list see HERE. Being MacBook Operator is sort of like the equivalent of a renaissance workshop assistant, and a huge undertaking. Between The Physics Room's Vanessa Coxhead, and herself, the absent artist's plan was put in place. I was instructed not too divulge too much as this could potentially demystify the artwork (professh--you should hire her) but you can imagine the logistics, liason, tests and trials involved in bonafide massproduction, marketing, and legitimate insertion into the hustling commerce centre of Christchurch. Wow, impressive. In terms of Chloe's art school research this volunteer work is encompassed by a project undertaken in conjuction with High Street Project Offsitework, called (free); a free graphic design studio in the CBD. The well-thought out concepts for this project are documented in a corresponding catalogue which will be available (for free) from HSP within the next week. You may also have noticed a shiny GOLD billboard outside the Arts' Centre, Chloe was also involved in this. Many thanks to Chloe for filling me in on her awesome goings-ons and (free) radical undertakings. xox

News from ho-land...

Here's something uber exciting- news from Marnie!



"Here is a picture for you. It is just outside my new house in Rotterdam, with my very own fiets (bicycle). Need I point out its handsome basket and delicate chrome detailing?"

Thats so awesome Marnie, hope you're building buns of steel. Or thighs? Which ever works for you.

Peace,
Al and Jess x

Sitting in, listening to those art folk talk...

On a beautiful stinking hot spring day, one that makes cheeks rosey and pits sweaty, I chose to attend the well air conditioned Philip Carter Family auditorium for a panel discussion on *ehhhm* "Contemporary art practices in the public realm".

Here are my notes. No pictures. Just. Pure. Unadulterated. Notes.

These are UNCENSORED. Wow. Here we go...
_________________________________

Daniel Cross. Callum Morton. Tina Barton. Fulya Erdemci. Danae Mossman. Tom van Gestel.

Contemporary Art Practice in the Public Realm.

Art Monument. Why Public Art now? *doodle of a flower*

- Art has become an economy.
- Communication quicker.
- Curiosity. Fast develpoment.
- Energy.

- Shift in art practice.
- Participatory.
- Artists can facilitate 'activities' and provide a vibrant image to a city.

Professionalisation of the art world.

Artists making opportunities. *flower doodle*

"Here's my hand- bite it" -Justin Paton

"Ephemeral is the new black" -Callum Morton *flower doodle*

Objects in permanence- One Day Sculpture...why?

- Not making permanent works in the space- why?

- Audience as participant for duration of work.

Role of the spectator.
Activates- Impact in subtle ways show how we perceive a city.

Clare Doherty.

Notion of public sculpture- operating in a broader way (site, engagement, "after life of documentation")

Documentation: how to use it?
- Permanence "Create new stories through means of art"- Tom V. G

Scape- across a continuum of 2 years instead of 3 months?

Process: research exhibition.

"Aesthetic Surgery" -Fulya

"Marking- opening up for discussion" -Fulya

"Intervine directly with life" -Fulya

"For me, Idealism exists...reintroduce Idealism" -Fulya

Interventions. Sound- "eminates and moves with its surroundings" -Tina *doodles of butterflies*

Butterfly Effect (edit- no shit, i doodled butterflies *before* she said this)

"Suddenly, society was unpacked"

E.g. Karin Sander's map work
- Deconstruct- taking perception of the gallery outside of the four walls.
- Not a dissapearing work- TRANsGRESSES the conceptual.
- Most solid work in the exhibition. A physical work- although representation is abstract.

Callum's work
- Changing the form of architecture.
- Leave interpretation open.
- "Monumental Invisibility"
- Audience- could be one person coming across it.
- Moment of misrecognition.
- "Collision Effect"

The BEFORE LIFE of an artwork. Unveils the process, the convensions (many levels- beurocracy, social). Before life- research. After life- work itself.

CREATIVE MISUNDERSTANDING. Misunderstand.

"very good failure"

"to explain what it is shuts it down"

"to write something is just intervention"

How do you get an institute to understand a work without giving them eveything?

"wanted to create a rumor"

The business of the biennial- "in the process- we lost a lot of blood"

"Jar of beans- depends where you are in the jar- near the front, near the inside..."

"Artists taking risks is consumed dinner party chat" -Callum

"If artists gave initiative themselves?"

"globalisation of economy- of art"

The influence of the budget on decision making...

__________________________________

And thats all I got. Interesting? Probably not, reading the notes.

And in other news, was checking out Callum Morton's work down on Cashel street. When we arrived he was fixing it, and in a socially awkward moment, told us to go away. Weird. Then, told us to move our car so he could do his documentation. Weirder. He was very sweaty. Must'v been the weather. Will post photos laters.

Well, a bit of gossip to finish on...

So, Scape have employed an actor to ride around at the weekends on an Ann Veronica Janssens bike for the next four weeks. Crazy? at $20 an hour i think not. Watch this scape for an interview with the talented thespian...

And thats all I got. Too much art this weekend christgoddamnit x

Keynote Lecture: Rochelle Steiner

Director of the PUBLIC ART FUND, NYC.

Some really impressive stuff here. All the big names. Her talk was really inspiring in a utopian way. As if it was cleansed by not sleeping for like, two years, and jumping every imaginable hurdle in go-getting this incredible, mind-altering, life-enhancing art served hot 'n clean to a public for whom "Culture is very important". Check out their seriously serious archive Here.

Audrey's Free Tour no.1

As part of Marnie's Free Tours program, fellow volunteer Audrey Baldwin offers some insight into Carmela Gross' work Real People for those fortunate enough to be on her free shuttle bus.




Well, it's not *hers*, she doesn't *own* it. What she *does* own is the attention of those surrounding her, who quietly listen as she recites her well written script. People can be pretty polite actually, apart from one guy who blerted "Yeah, but what are you actually talking about?". Audrey politely pointed behind her, indicating he had missed it.

Waiting for the shuttle on The Lombo (yes, i called it 'The Lombo' because thats what the cool people of Crimeschurch call it. *Tsk*. Colombo Street if you will). Sorry Audrey, if we'd caught the first one we wouldn't have been waiting so long, but i insisted on a shameless excersion to BK because i was still hungover. And thus we missed it. Note the actual work in the background above head.

Flagging down the bus. Or waving to the bogans. Whatevz. Mixing the job with the social...

It's getting closer...

Stepping on the bus (avoid the groceries and the tiny asians)...

Audrey, initially improvising here with her placement of herself and signage, because the sulky blonde woman was taking up two seats. Tsk, some people. A little but of hesitancy to begin, but then all of a sudden...

...it was really quiet and people were listening in. Audrey surreptitiously holds the sign in the window. Loud Mouth was dude standing holding the pole. Also note the quite woman sitting behind Audrey. She sat there the entire time, and did a whole circuit of the shuttle with us. Didnt make eye contact. Just sat there. She must'v been lonely...

Anyway, really looking forward to seeing how this tour develops.

Also managed to have an ace of a bus driver (pity i didn't get a photo of him). I hope she can get him again on the next one.

CORKER

VVVRRRROOOM!!! Biking very fast. 

D for Dynamic/

Charles enters the time-warp, both eyes firmly on the 70's...

Wow, great photo right? Art_T-ah. To think I just took it over the back of my head! like...so

Lots of power-points today. Top notch mind, but there came a point.... And what better way for a kid to bust loose! The ride began SPECTACULARLY; neither Charles nor I can boast adequate brakes on our normal-life bikes, so getting on these babies, brake bite like a rubber duck in rigor mortis was... waaayoutofcontrol. Charles literally flew over his handlebars in the gallery forecourt-- and I sprawled at the first set of lights. Very subversive engagement with the work, yes. Maybe.  Casey was token class-act. What began with cheap glee burning up the dayz pent-up like magnesium ribbon streaks across Hagley Parks, soon led to something a little more meandering, dawdling, weedling **Very Wandering Lines, Toward a New Culture of Space** in  and around carparks, courtyards, across grass, over curbs, along the footpath, around in circles and along stretches. I got my derive on. It felt kind of like a work by Christchurch sculpture student Annie McKenzie called "Site Non-Specific". This was where she sent invitations to friends to choose a place of significance to them and "claim" it by spending an hour or two in that space on a moveable park bench which was common to all the expeditions; similarly it felt meaningful to kind of "write" all over Christchurch, like an invisible spy-juice tag, or just getting doggone territorial...

Scape Opening- Essence, Dumplings, and a whole lot of Spooning...

So, I managed to upload these photos backwards! So the narrative is crazy- it looks like we started drunk and slid into sober base in time to attend the opening.



Well shit, if I can start from the end I will so there. We open the book and begin reading from the back...



At the Holiday Inn, jumping on the bed (very qwietly)...

Jumping...
Jumping, laughing and drinking (im suprised the beer didnt go out someones nose)...

Cool Cat Australian Bad Arse Artist Alert. He likes to put things on plinths. He said so himself.

Some of what my body remembers from the after party. A stamp and a churny stomache.

Serious art talk with Tom van Gestel. He actually asked to pose as a thoughful artist. Obviously, Im not that thoughful, so my attempt wasn't so successful. But wow, he's got it down to the T. He was very engaging, and considering he got off a 40 hour plane ride that morning. Shess.

Group hugs with Lonnie Hutchison! Hard working lady. What in the world will she be doing next?

Wonderful Miss Zina Swanson (yes that's her, dont you go hiding now) at the after party, from what i recall...

Elam School Cool Cats. Can you believe Elam helped these guys fly down here? Come on Ilam, give *me* some money to fly up to Auckland. Anyway, little did i know the night was still young and spooning was a foot...

Lovely Brenda Nightingale and another lovely lady, a dealer...um...i am so ignorant. Someone might want to fill in the gabs before i embarrass myself on this thing. We talked about coats.

Mr Mark McEntyre, head of NASDA at CPIT. Turns out the guy went through the sculpture department at Ilam. Small world. Nice guy.

Jess having a conversation with Mr Guillaume Bijl. I think they talked about art or something. He's agreed to do an interview, but maybe he might not remember agreeing.

Mr Aaron Beehre he is so design he holds the sign the wrong way up. This guy puts the Z in cray-zee.

Mr photographer-who-took-photos-for-Marnie (sorry, forgot his name) and the lovely Kate Montgomery from teh Physics Room.

Mr Eddie Clements- im not sure whether he was *actually* drinking Essence. I think it was a prop for the photo. See, artists, always thinking about composition...

This guy said he loved watchthisscape dot com and wanted to marry it an have its babies.

With our tickets oh yes exclusive who did we have to sleep with to get those also trying to have the pout thing going on. amazing.

Infront of the newly installed Tea Mäkipää work (trying to look like car babes). I think it is important for car babes to put one hand on the hip. yes.

This is our friend Jenny Harper and her friend Neil Dawson. She let Christchurch hold a big party at her work place. That was nice of her. She dons the white camillia to remember the sisters that fought the war and won. Neil just had a cool badge on.

And finally, for Marnie, because she couldn't be at the opening (or actually, for any of Scape), a wee video of the Mayor officially openign Scape 2008. Lovely.

Hope you enjoyed the opening. Shout out to the wait staff hotties x