| Project title: | We’ve Gone Wrong |
| Location: | Haye Farm, Saltash, Cornwall, UK |
| Date(s): | 2 – 4 August 2023 |
Artists Statement
The project titled ‘We’ve Gone Wrong’ uses multimedia art forms such as abstract acrylic painting, projection, text based works, interactive installation, prints and live performance to explore the question: ‘How can combining art and live performance create a deeper experience for an audience, with a concentration on lyrical content centred on narrative satire to help build creative community environments in rural areas?’. Displayed in an orchestrated multisensory atmosphere to accompany the songs performed at a one day festival held on a local farm: Haye farm on River Tamar.
All works displayed were informed by the music of the band ‘Astrid’, made up of myself (Vocalist, Bassist & Songwriter) and my primary collaborators Oliver Muñoz (Lyricist, Vocalist, Drummer and Songwriter) & Harvey James (Electric Guitarist and Composer). The project sits within the core beliefs of my socially engaged and community based art practice. Continuing a line of discussion on how art and music inform one another to allow a stronger sense of understanding and conveying of narratives.
The lyrics equip storytelling to promote personal reflectiveness through shared experience to allow bonding, entertainment and support grounded in art. The overall outcome was informed by the works of Andy Warhol’s collaborative multimedia tour with The Velvet Underground in 1966/1967 called ‘Andy Warhol’s Exploding Plastic Inevitable’ which combined the use of film, lighting, audience participation, art and music to create these experiences that not only experimented but equalised the status of all audience members, everyone becoming a single entity moved by the atmosphere. Communities form through these shared experiences, creating networks or even scenes, which in turn can strengthen the social ecosystem of an area. The addition of lyrical projections in a separate room within the same building adds a quieter reflective experience to contemplate the work, inspired by the text based artist Tony Cokes, who uses block colour minimalist projections which change the colour of the room and therefore the atmosphere of the space.
The performance ties together the elements of the exhibition, when playing the music the art has further depth of meaning and vice versa. This use of performative mixed media can be seen in the works of Plastique Fantastique. There is a playfulness to their costume and content, making the viewer feel relaxed and comfortable in the environment. I adopted some of these factors but felt the art needed to surround the audience instead of the stage stealing their gaze, making them feel more involved in the art. Transforming from onlooker to part of the art. The space being a catalyst for the audience to change and develop within, forming a vivid experience to take with them when they leave.
About the Project
The exhibition and live performance was successful, however obstacles did present themselves throughout each stage of creation and execution, the main one being the balance between project management & the creative endeavour. Interdisciplinary challenges concerning secondary collaborators, Stagewave (Lighting and Sound engineers) and the owners of the farm, caused conflicting ideals due to coming from separate fields. So there had to be regular reminders that a critical approach to art practice was at the centre of the project. Having this conflict of priority was new to me and taught me a lot about how I approach difficult situations within collaborations. I had to utilise communication techniques, one I found worked well to create a constructive and positive environment was the ‘Yes, and..’ technique used predominantly in team building and improvisational performance, as it allowed less negative words into the space and instead built on what the other collaborator had already said. They listened to my visions of the space and created a wonderful world within the barn that resembled an underground music venue. It was dimly lit and used colours that portrayed a dirty romanticism, enhancing the art’s abstraction and colours that complimented the complexities of an emotive performative experience.
The future of my art practice resides within furthering my experimentation with the combined sonic and visual through collaborations with other musicians or artists from other disciplines. Prior to this event both my art and music practices existed separately, but I have found combining the two to be more expressive and effective in community engagement and socially engaged pieces.
This project showed us that there’s a local demographic that wishes to engage with art culture in a rural environment. Due to such a positive response I will be looking to put on another event such as this one, with the same and more collaborators but on a larger scale in the coming year. The planning for this event will begin in the coming weeks, which will allow more time for management and organisation to allow space for the creative which is what was lacking from ‘We’ve Gone Wrong’. It will be rooted in agricultural discussions, local artists and musicians, with the aim to educate, inspire and experiment. Although we managed to break even with this event, we will be looking to achieve funding through AUE (Artist’s Union England) but also after doing some further research we have found that the Tamar Valley AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) team have been looking to start up a festival within the local area as well.
