So yesterday a very caring person decided to look over us at the RAYGUN space by leaving us a kind note and a gift in the form of a power board. Until now we have been using double adapters for plugging in our computers, projectors, speakers and the like. Thank you anonymous ‘power board fairy’. We promise to use it for all of our projects from now. T + A xx
Tonight we met Michael! all the way from Denmark via Byron Bay… We love him already. Beers on Kyle’s verandah was an awesome start to the next week! (He’s the one in the blue shoes)
By ABC Open Producer Miranda Grant, yes, the same amazing lady who taught Tarn and I to make short films. This film was created as part of The Range, and shown at ‘Art Battles’. It is lovely, well worth the few minutes.
LEE WALTON
This short film documenting Lee Walton’s ‘Experiential Declarations’ opening was made by Aidan Rayn, a wonderful film maker who has been making short films for ‘The Range’ Festival.
THE RANGE
The Range festival curated by Ashleigh Bunter, of A. Bunter Projects has just finished. The 9 day festival ran from November 1-9 2012. Reflecting on the festival, especially after coming across more of Aiden Ryan’s short films, I am transported. The Range created both a critical dialogue and brought people together in Toowoomba. I met so many people in the 9 days who I had no idea were interested in creating the kind of dynamic, and dialogue, that the gallery directors work so damn hard to create. Aside from bringing people together and demonstrating what art is able to facilitate, The Range festival brought to light exactly what it is that we strive to do at RAYGUN. The events and programming demonstrated interesting practices, created dialogue, and most importantly introduced new ways of being with art, and social practices. It created the opportunity to engage with a wider community, and discuss what it is that we do. Many of the people who I spoke with were at the event, not as regulars, but because it was a part of The Range’s programming. The shared excitement and critical engagement that ‘The Range’ facilitated through the events and programming, has demonstrated that Toowoomba is a great place to be for art. The Gallery directors from MOP and ALASKA (Sydney) who we spoke with as part of the festival last Thursday night were so excited about the vibe that Toowoomba is creating, astonished by the exciting things that are happening in a regional city. My point is, ‘The Range’ has brought the energy already here and magnified it. It has positively impacted the galleries, artists and wider community, demonstrating that a 9 day independent Art festival in Toowoomba is not only possible, but will go off.
In collaboration with The Range Festival on Thursday night we held a Skype session at the RAYGUN space in Toowoomba with Sydney’s MOP and ALASKA projects on what it is to run an artists run space. Ron, George and Sebastian gathered together at ALASKA (an underground car park at Kings Cross) and we converged in an interactive conversation via Skype. An informative insight into the worlds of Artist Run Spaces either metropolitan or regionally based. Also within the space we installed a project facilitated by Sebastian which filled the Toowoomba space with a little of The Cross.
morning
MORNING@
nice ton have you on board. we are doing some drinking and have watched your video. xx
Ok great.
I have no idea why my little iPhone alarm did not go off! I am so embarassed…
I have been looking forward to this all night.
Mornin’ from Australia. Ash here. Thanks for waking up for us. About 15 people here. We love your concept.
thanks for sharing!
Your so welcome. I have enjoyed all of this
Hi Lee – Grace here – just wondering why you didn’t have anything to declare?
I wish i could be there to raise a glass with you all
I would be raising a coffee!@
Hi Grace.
That is a great question. Its so funny you ask that.
This same question crossed my mind when I first held the deck of declarations in my hand.
It kinda hit me… that I had nothing to do on Nov. 1
I sort of laughed to myself, because that is the kind of thing I would do
.
I guess i was just putting my anticipation towards the orchestration of the entire piece.
Its like a chef that sort of nibbles all night long but never really gets to try the soup!
He just sort of watches everybody else eat.
i like that.
holding the cards in my hand i wish i had something to declare as well.
Yesterday, I did make an effort to have buscuits and gravy with a a cup of coffee at a diner I like.
it’s a very beautiful idea
buscuits and gravy?
Thank you. Yes, holding the cards make you want to declare and experience something!
biscuits, gravy, sausage hot coffee with tabasco.
That is my favorite. Its a bit more spectacular than necessary! But it works for me.
Is anyone there that declared an experience?
several.
Super.
it’s interesting knowing some of the people that have declared and imagining them doing whatever act they have said they would do.
and the people you don’t know as well.
Yeah. a feel the same way.
WIth this project I am questioning documentation a bit.
We always share documentation after we do things –
I wanted to reverse that.
This way, when you are actually doing the thing – you don’t need to fuss with cameras or anything.
You can just “walk to work” or “have tea”
I think sometimes that ART can get in our way.
yes exactly. it all had such an instancy about it.
really beautiful
but even though art can get in the way, we still were able to share a visual. a global language
Yes.
I don’t mean to sound cynical with the art getting in the way bit.
Its just something I have been thinking about a lot lately.
no i understand what you’re saying
I want art to take or push me somewhere.
hopefuly somewhere new.
what do you mean by reversing how it was done? like staging the event for the purpose of taking a photo?
to do that – I wonder if it needs to be behind you?
Staging is a nice idea.
Staging seems to connect with artificial.
well it’s like that saying ‘ “every time i’ve not done something, nothing gets done”. maybe?
I dont mind articifical.
i think the idea of staging changes the purpose of doing the act though. do you think?
“Not done something nothing gets done!”
I like the idea of creating a situation.
giving something some formality.
something that normally would not have it.
So, we make a concious effort to “define” or “declare” something that otherwise would be just everyday life.
I think a lot of “art” already has this declared form.
sorry to cut this short Lee – lovely to chat to you. Thanks for taking the time at such a odd hour for you.
Ali, Tarn and Raygun and all of the participants = = == = = THANK YOU!
this has been a real blast.
I am still confused about my iPhone alarm. I need to check on that…
Again, enjoy the night. I wish you al well and am very thankfuil.
it has been!! loved it! thanks for waking up.. we’re all heading to the next opening…. it was perfect timing. no worries at all.
thanks Lee, speak soon!
Yes, speak soon!
people loved the project
awesome. my pleasure. I was so thrilled with everybody’s enthusiuam and declration.
beautiful people!
have fun!
xx A & T thank you Lee xx
XX! bye for now.
have some laughs. Talk soon 🙂
Here is a sneak peek at what is going on at ALASKA projects on November 1st, the same day as Lees Experiential project at RAYGUN. Sebastian Goldspink from ALASKA (Sydney) and MOP (Sydney) together with RAYGUN will be holding an event and combined artist talk next Thursday 8th November as a part of The Range Festival.
Here are the details of Sebastians project today
The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in collaboration with ALASKA PROJECTS, in Kings Cross, presents Andy Warhol: Underground Films on the evening of Thursday, November 1st, 2012. In the early 1960s Andy Warhol purchased a 16mm camera to try his hand at filmmaking, directing over sixty films from 1963 to 1968. But few would see his film work at the time and even less afterwards. Warhol’s dark-pop cinema proved too radical for conventional modes of distribution – playing with expanded forms, subversive content and minimalist style.
For this one-off special event, ALASKA PROJECTS will be transformed into a silver Factory-like space to exhibit the epic, cinematic spectacle of The Chelsea Girls with a selection of Andy Warhol films from the Museum of Modern Art collection. Chelsea Girls is a time capsule of the mid-1960s New York art scene and a seminal work of Expanded Cinema. In double-screen the film features a host of Warhol ‘Superstars’: Nico, Ondine, Gerard Malanga, Ingrid Superstar, International Velvet and a soundtrack by The Velvet Underground.
The Project Space at ALASKA will screen Andy Warhol’s Poor Little Rich Girl – a day in the life of Superstar Edie Sedgwick – followed by The Velvet Underground and Nico in an impromptu jam session filmed at the Factory. The films will be projected on 16mm celluloid, with The Chelsea Girls in its intended double-screen format. Andy Warhol: Underground Films is an art:film collaboration between the Creative Practices Academic Group, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, at UTS and ALASKA PROJECTS in Kings Cross.
ANDY WARHOL: UNDERGROUND FILMS
DATE: 1st November, 2012. 6-30pm
TICKETS: Register at Eventbrite http://warholalaska.eventbrite.com/ CONTACTS: seb@alaskaprojects.com, alex.munt@uts.edu.au
ALASKA
Lygia Clark is a really interesting Brazilian artist, who expanded painting into participation.
RAYGUN 
