Hi gang, here we are with another update, this one has some big events for me and new artsy shite to natter about.
Personal
In a personal perspective, I can't say I've had many moments to myself, and most of them have been on self reflection, from meeting new people, talking and trying to see how I reflect from people meeting me it's made me realize how out of touch I am when it comes to the limitations that my autism can bring, and what I can do to reduce that limitation as much as possible. Of course it's always a mix between a variety of factors, and I'm aware it isn't the dominating factor, but I'm feeling more and more these past weeks I need to look into it more and understand it more for my own sake, and others who I have to talk to.
After many months, my bell pepper plant is finally growing it's first fruit. Never thought I'd get such a sense of reward for a plant doing it's job, but here we are, plans on how to eat it pending.
Oh, also fucked my driving test, catch me sat on a bus more. I think about it and part of me (albeit a very very very small part) will miss the characters which you see on buses, each person in a collective setting with one shared connection or traveling, and how we see the subtle politics within the buses and micro expressions of character personality from how they sit, or treat the empty seat next to them.
On a more positive note, whilst in a meeting with a creative group at a bar, someone slid me a piece of paper with a charcoal sketch of me done in under the time it took to pour a pint of Guinness. The shape language is really well and the style simple let detailed, I want to him a shout out to their Insta with some really interesting work on it, @akinyemi_oludele (Or his website http://www.onashileart.gallery/). I especially like their piece 'The Dancer' check them out.
Collaboration with New-Func
I attended a reading event with a fairly new collaboration group in Manchester called new-func, a collective which their focus is 'new ways a living'. they focus on mundane normal activities and use experimental art and performance/ events to explore these and create invitation for further thinking on how we do our day to day lives.
The event I attended was a book club for the 'Reading about Reading' Event. Going in with little knowledge I found it a little intense yet intriguing explorative theme on what we see as a norm.
After the meet up, my mind was racing with ideas, and blasted out all ideas and running thoughts onto a PowerPoint to make sure I didn't forget them, later I had a online call with one of the members to discuss ideas, thoughts and ways to travel on with this and potentially have a experimental piece within the theme of the event.
Hopefully, in time me and a close friend might have some example based work displaying the base roots of the ideas created, which will be pretty cool. Through this as well I find myself in inadvertently networking within the creative community in Manchester for when I move over there in the future. This has also got me looking into furthermore looking at studio spaces that hold events to furthermore find a network of people to collaborate and hopefully have the pleasure of working with.
If you want to learn more, or even check out the event, the information can be found on their website newfunc.com.
Their current project 'NEW WAYS OF READING' is one of many series of events exploring the ideas of reading through experimental works, ideas and performances. Attending one of their book events it made me realize how strange reading is. Right now you are looking at a line of symbols, which you as a person have attached sounds, and understanding to these symbols when assembled in a order to generate information.
I like the idea as well of how we can read in different ways, for example how we read facial expressions, inflections in voices, and how we read things we don't understand and attach meaning and narrative to it. A quote I found which connects in a (somewhat) existential way:
"...the brain doesn’t have some kind of central region that unites all the elements of us. Our brains are constantly, exhaustively working overtime to deliver the illusion that we’re in control, but we’re not. The brain builds a narrative to steady us from moment to moment, but it’s ultimately an illusion. There is no me, there is no you, and there is certainly no self; we are divided and discontinuous and constantly being duped. The brain is a storytelling machine and it’s really, really good at fooling us.”
- Nick Pane ‘Incognito’
I love this quote, emanating that it is in human nature to create narrative for our existence, such as the ideas of religion, karma, fate and superstition are all human constructs and beliefs to create meaning and narrative/ cause and effect in our lives.
Through this idea of narrative, we tie words and sentences before current and after in a book one part of a whole narrative, and how we as a species are one of few that can utilize textual based reading is something I've found intrigue in.
I hope in the next update I have the honor to tell you about the reception of the work and a little more detail when it is complete. Feedback, ideas of how to develop the work and the potential it holds. The main themes and questions we have and wanted to share in the piece was;
What limitations does text have for us as readers? Whilst what does finely crafted literature transform the stage in our mind? Playing with the ideas of the theme 'new ways of READING',
We invite the voyeur to read between lines, and digest the non-visible information, and creative intent interwoven beyond the text itself.
Lighting and Mixing
This week I also did sound and lighting for a show in Rochdales 'Curtain Theatre', this was for an event 'The Scattering with Guests', a folk and country based evening. For the most part I was focused on sound, looking at making sure the balances are right for the instruments, whilst also making sure the playback is loud enough for the band to hear the other musicians perform to stay in time. From this I've learnt a few things such as the significance of cable management, levelling and mixing on the fly.
In terms of lighting, I got some insight from a experienced lighting technician, such as how he would run a show in which the setlist is unknown, and some basic tools to use on the fly such as 'bumps' certain lights which can use manually with buttons, such as some flashing in time of the music to encourage the audience to clap along. This along with another crucial piece of information is what I've taken from lighting the show is this: "No one notices good lighting, but everyone notices bad lighting"
Although I didn't spend much time behind the desk as I was more on call for sound, I still shadowed a of the show when I had time on how they would run music show lighting.
External learning such as using intercoms effectively was used whilst running the show which is super useful too. Good Stuff.
It's here for the energy it posses. Laid back, beautifully mixed guitar and some serious building.
That'll be it for today, next update you'll hear from some of the exhibition work, how it was being a tv extra for a few days, and hopefully some time for me to talk about some films.
Peace,
- S (26/09/21)