LONDON VENICE LIVERPOOL CARACAS

Exhibited /performed in London, Liverpool, Riverside studio, Caracas, Venice, Louise Blouin Foundation

Broken Voices is the first project where I worked directly with musicians. Doing things for the first time is always exciting.

I am, like most artists, fascinated about the mechanics of the creative process. It is this process and method that allows for work to be created and exposed to scrutiny. So in a way the method is a tool and the better you can use the tools of your trade the more control you have of your art form.

I developed a series of live performances in Venice, Liverpool and London which allowed me to workshop and experiment and create the work. The work itself has two expressions, something that began then in 2007 and has continued, a live version and a video installation. There are elements of both manifestations that appear in the installation and live work but there are also many sections that only appear in one or the other.

This process invigorated my creativity but I was also aware of what I could not yet do, and I realised that the journey would take longer and be much more bumpy than I had imagined. 

CURATED BY CLARE FITZPATRICk

commissioned by de la warr pavilion

broken from CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI’s

Duo Seraphim Clamabant a 3 Voci

Programme of six sections but not necessarily in this order

S a n M a r c o
Santa Croce San Polo Cannaregio Dorsoduro Giudecca Castello

The performance of these six sections will vary and last for approximately 25minutes

Please note mobile phones and movement throughout the performance is permitted

VENICE 1/4 LIVERPOOL 2/4 LONDON 3/4 BEXHILL 4/4

BROKEN VOICESWORK IN PROGRESS 6 June 2007

I always think things are easy, please... someone shoot me!

Broken Voices, which will eventually be a multi screen sound and video work at the De La Warr Pavilion, is more complicated than I had imagined. I thought it would be easy, (I also think you can walk to anywhere in ten minutes - neither are true). There are certain things that I had not anticipated, however I had expected problems and uncertainty. Fortunately I was not stupid. I asked Ian Dearden and Linda Hirst to accompany me on this experiment and to be my collaborators and teachers. Both are accomplished and world famous musi- cians. They have worked with nearly all of the most famous contemporary composers. I was very intimidated! A project like this is of course a learning curve, it is steep and I am still climbing.

The original piece of music Duo Seraphim for 3 voices is a little over six minutes long, there are six natural ‘breaks’ in the composition and ninety six bars. The first three minutes of the music are two voices, with a third arriving halfway through. The first few bars set the tone, a kind of vocal chase sequence, which is explored using a unique software devel- oped by Ian that allows a delay of twelve seconds, This delay enables Linda to sing against herself. There is also an instrumental track, with an instrument unspecified by Monteverdi, which I have replaced with the sounds of Venice - Vaporettos, engines, footsteps, talking etc. The work is broken into six parts, each named after a district in Venice. There is no real reason for this, other than I love coincidence, names and numbers.

I expect the piece to be about twenty five minutes long, but of course this could change. Bits of the original Monteverdi music will appear from time to time, as well as a sequence of shifting sounds there is plenty of space for Linda and Ian to improvise. This in an unre- hearsed piece where the principle is to keep it fresh and dynamic. It will never be the same twice anyway. Influenced of course by John Cage, this work, treads on the toes of every artist and composer who has worked with sound and music.

There are many people to thank firstly of course Linda and Ian my collaborators and teach- ers, Vittorio Urbani and Elisa Genna of Nuova Icona, Franco Gazzarri and Debora Antonini in Venice, David Gryn of Artprojx , Alan Haydon and Celia Davies of the De La Warr, spe- cial thanks to John Henry-Bowden for his generosity in lending us his church and most of all to Clare Fitzpatrick, curator of Broken Voices.

Last of all, the church is under restoration and if you feel so inclined to drop some of your own notes where I believe all currrencies are welcomed and will go towards the cost of refurbishment.

Broken Voices is the first project where I worked directly with musicians. I developed a series of live performances in Venice, Liverpool and London which allowed me to workshop and experiment and create the work. The work itself has to expressions, something that began then in 2007 and has continued, a live version and a video installation. There are elements of both  manifestations that appear in the installation and live work but there are also many sections that only appear in one or the other.

Both are on-going works.