Sing Swan Song

Sing Swan Song - Neil Buddle / Assemblage 2009

Entry for Wanganui National Art Award (Amalgamated Tech.)

It's been a long time since I have made any assemblage and the experience as ever has been extremely enjoyable. This piece unfolded it's own story which resulted in this take on the plight of native birds in the face of predators and eforestation. All the bird names listed on the piece are currently on the endangered list, most of them critically endangered, and there are more.

A swansong is a last performance and in this case it is the last birdsongs. The title also borrows from a song by the krautrock band 'Can'. Ironically Swans have thrived here since introduction.

The exhibition opens on Thursday 17th September at the Community Arts Centre, Taupo Quay, Whanganui.

End of the Millenium Psychosis Blues

10 years ago, I had just completed my Visual Art Degree at the University of Glamorgan, Wales. Having just completed the largest body of work, I have ever produced, I was looking forward to a new life in a new country with a young family. It has taken me 10 years to get back to producing anywhere near as much work as I produced during those 3 years and to begin to see how that might be applied and developed. So now seems an apt time to review and re-present, my Graduation Show from 1999, a decade, century and millenia ago!

The show was an installation of individual artworks. All the work was made from found objects. The shape of the space was an equilateral triangle ( A 'magic' shape), which allowed everything to balance. In the centre I had built a sort of altar and tranmistter so that all the 'signals' being generated by the work could be 'amplified' and 'broadcast' throughout time and space. This concept was heavily influenced by Pythagoras' 'Music of the Spheres' and musicians such as Sun Ra. An audio-collage of found-sounds from the local environment, played from hidden speakers behind the main paintings.

I only have one piece left (A couple of other pieces survive elsewhere) and these few pics and some sketches, and somehow that suits the temporal nature of the work.