(Version) for Lightsilver
Beaconsfield, London →
23 Feb – 13 Mar 2005
+ Newport Calypso live event
(Lightsilver included subsequent exhibitions by Peter Collis, Chiara Pirito, Chris Cornish, susan pui san lok, Mattias Härenstam, João Seguro, Zineb Sedira, Semiconductor)
exhibited works:
gallery information:
Lightsilver at Beaconsfield explores the physical, conceptual and historical impact of the landscape tradition on the ideas of contemporary artists. Nine diverse artists – Algerian, British, Chinese, Italian, Norwegian, and Portuguese – rotate new commissions across three spaces: each fresh work entering the sequence on one screen before proceeding to the next. The impact of every piece shifts with the new environment, as it forms a triptych of montaged space with other art-works within a rotating exhibition structure of eleven weeks.
Launching the Lightsilver sequence with three new works, Mark Dean’s (Version) for Lightsilver addresses landscape as diaspora. In terms of evolutionary theory, we are all Africans. In terms of race and culture, some are African and some not. Geographically, even fewer qualify. Coded by the colours of Marcus Garvey’s Pan-African Flag (created for all peoples of African descent) these works remix black versions of white songs, and vice versa, to explore questions of identity and ownership.
Police & Thieves (Version) 2005
Duration: 3 min
Sound: fragment of The Clash’s punk version of Junior Murvin’s Police & Thieves, time-stretched and layered, with additional percussion from:
Image: original footage of Derek Goddard drumming to above.
Crimson & Clover (Version) 2005
Duration: (14 x 22 sec)
Sound: looped and faded fragment of The Uniques’ reggae version of Tommy James & The Shondells’ Crimson & Clover.
Image: Pan-African Red, Black and Green alternately fading with vibrato effect.
Rag Doll (Version) 2005
Duration: (2 x 3 min)
Sound: Bumps Oakley’s ska version of the Four Seasons’ Rag Doll, phased, layered and panned.
Image: 1557 woodcut by Conrad Lycosthenes showing an androgynous child reported from Africa, coloured, mirrored, layered and rotated.
Newport Calypso
Society event: Friday March 11 2005
An evening of Pan-African music and food: father & son duo Michael & Derek Goddard play live acoustic jazz calypso; Mark Dean on the decks; Trinidadian food and drink served.
Michael Goddard (guitar and vocals) has toured the world playing calypso, from GI’s in Vietnam to Brigitte Bardot in San Tropez.
Derek Goddard (percussion) has worked with many musicians, including The Clash, The Raincoats & Neneh Cherry.
This project has been supported by the Arts Council of England.