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July 16 - 18 2007
Sassoon Gallery, SE15
[Current page] |
July 3 -5 2006
Shunt Vaults, SE1
[Read more] |
August 2000
291 Gallery, Hackney
[Read more] |
June 2000
Glastonbury
[Read more] |
June 2000
Camberwell ArtsWeek
[Read more] |
November 1999
Truman Breweries
[Read more] |
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July 16 - 18 2007
The Sassoon Gallery, SE15 |
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If not quite the sultry night promised in the press release, the evening of the private view of Experiment 1's Sassoon Gallery exhibition was nonetheless a roaring success.
Very well and eclectically attended, the exhibition provided the first established gallery setting for the Gas Organ and was very enthusiastically received. City suits, local parents and their children, artists, art lovers, audiophiles, photographers, reporters, students, blind piano tuners and deaf musicians all gathered to witness the unifying spectacle of the Gas Organ.
The Gas Organ was in fine voice, moulded into a neat four-poster altar of sound in the centre of the resonant arch - the Gas Organ was conceived and built in an almost identical space. Large photographic images taken by Lou of the flames burning in the tubes flanked the installation.
Pre-recorded video of the flames were projected onto the far wall, emphasising the relation between the fleeting and delicate forms of the flames that sculpt the sound and eerily beautiful harmonics of the sounds themselves.
Visitors once again were invited to demonstrate their virtuosity on the ever-popular remote control handsets.
Targ and Crystal, our first Organistas, donned Orwellian boiler suits (courtesy of Slaughterhouse 5) and gas mask combos whilst they played a half hour recital, adding the perfect amount of uneasy surrealism to the event.
They had chosen the Gas Organ at Shunt as the venue for their debut date, which was obviously a success as they offered to come and do an improvised performance for this gig. Thanks very much to them!
Thanks also to Nicola Groves who gracefully and adeptly manned the busy hospitalities area, adding her special brand of Antipodean elegance to the proceedings, and leaving one of the nights most eloquent comments, as well as managing to take some excellent photographs.
The weather stayed fine, and a throng gathered - and then lingered - in the courtyard of the gallery, where the diluted strains of the Organ could wash over them, occasionally punctuated by the demonic basso profundo retort of Big Bertha, a super-sized gas organ tube tethered to a post in the corner of the courtyard. Fired by of course a super-sized gas burner, Big Bertha gives a nod in the direction of how the organ could be scaled for epic recitals in the future.
It was a good night for proliferation of the buzz surrounding the Gas Organ, with several photographers and reporters turning up, their curiosities whetted by the press releases and the accounts of eye witnesses.
We were happy to see the surge of images to be found on the web by the following day, courtesy of Michael Reeve, Ian Betteridge and Phoebe Hawkins, just to name a few. I'm sure there are more photos out there, so do get in touch if you want your photos displayed in the gallery.
Lou and Lorraine had earlier in the day, (in fact half an hour before the show opened) raced to "The Hub" to record a quickie interview with Radio Peckham's Michael Stickland for inclusion into their SE15 Spotlight show, available as a download in our Multimedia gallery.
Londonist.com's Dave Knapik and Fridaycities.com's Graham Pond came to cover the event and were enthusiastically entertained and entertaining, Graham even lending a hand demonstrating the controls to visitors.
Attending one of the evenings was Peckham-based band The Lea Shores' Simon Webb, who saw the potential for using the unique sound of the Gas Organ as a perfect backdrop to their densely layered, psychedelic sound in the recording of their new album.
Recordings of the Gas Organ, previously recorded were for sale at the event in CD format and we are glad to report that all copies sold out, but can still be ordered via the web site.
The event was filmed by Lou and Lorraine, with many audience members contributing comments on camera. View the multimedia gallery to see the vox pops.
This exhibition was partially funded by Review Bookshop and Southwark Council's Peckham and Nunhead Community Council Fund. Materials were kindly donated by Rothenberger and Schott. Please see the sponsors page for more information.
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Graham Pond from Fridaycities.com |
Matthew trying out Big Bertha. Photo by Phoebe Hawkins |
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