Performances/Workshops
'Is This Thing On?'02 May 2013
10 Years of Vitamin S –
a photographic documentation
In 2012, Vitamin S celebrated its tenth anniversary. During this time it has provided a vehicle for increasing the profile of improvisation in the city in a variety of ways. Weekly ‘Pool Nights’ are the mainstay, attracting performers in random collaborations. In addition, there are regular performances by members in more formal groupings, as well as concerts and workshops by visiting national and international artists.
The original idea for this exhibition was to document these events, inviting members to submit images taken during performances. However, this has now developed a wider context. Many of its members are themselves visual artists; so it seemed pertinent to invite submissions of work not solely portraying Vitamin S, but also to provide a platform for more personal work by the members.
As a result, an exhibition of photographs by Paul Buckton, Derek Tearne, Eva Cadario and Ivan Mrsic documenting some of the events of the past ten or eleven years will be exhibited at The Wine Cellar. This exhibition opens on Monday 3 June, from about 7pm. This will be followed by a ‘Vitamin Special’ featuring some, if not all the contributors to this exhibition.
Additionally, live performances of video, music and performance will take place at:
Audio Foundation
4 Poynton Terrace.
(this is a performance/exhibition space underneath the ‘Parisian Tie Factory’. Poynton Terrace is off Pitt St and runs behind St Kevin’s Arcade).
Dates:
Tuesdays: 4.6/11.6/18.6/25.6.
7.30pm.
Details of programming for each night will be available shortly.
Members submitting work for these events are:
Derek Tearne.
Paul Smith.
Markus Hofko.
Karin Hofko.
Paul Buckton.
Tom Cadillac.
John Radford
Ivan Mrsic.
Markus Hofko
Designer/Artist/Musician.
Born in Augsburg, Germany, 4th August 1975.
Markus Hofko has been working as an artist, designer and musician for most of his life. After his studies of Communication Design in Augsburg, Germany he worked at several design studios as a graphic designer and art director. Seeking independence and a change of scenery, he moved to Auckland in 2007. Here he has been working independently as a designer for local and international clients in the fields of art, culture, music and advertising. He designed the key visuals for the 4th Auckland Triennial, created several illustrations for Wired magazine (US), had a long term relationship with Adidas Hong Kong and just recently developed the design for the "Music inspires Art" campaign by Becks beer. In 2011 Markus toured through Europe with French musician Débruit for whom he developed an interactive live projection.
Markus' expertise covers photography, video, installation and sound. His ongoing eagerness for new creative expressions is reflected in his diverse collaborations with artists from different fields and has led to a variety of interdisciplinary performances and stage productions.
In 2008 Markus co-founded Pie Paper, a theme based publication observing the world from artistic, scientific and odd angles.
In early 2012 he co-founded Public Works Media, a film company dedicated to high quality documentation of public sculptures and events.
Simon Field
Born 1955 Cookham UK.
Never went to art school and stopped playing piano due to over travelling.
Wrote poems in kitchens in Devonport. Founding member of auckland poetry workshop.
Exhibition of photography in India in 1998. Enjoys android mutant photos and kayaking.
Paul Buckton
Became interested in improvisation/’European free music’ in the ‘70s as an antidote to British modern jazz. After hearing ‘Live at Verity’s Place’ featuring the duo of Derek Bailey and Han Bennink was changed forever. Formed Leeds’ Musicians Collective in 1977 to promote improvised music in that city and co-founded the (‘legendary’, according to the Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD) Termite Club in 1983.
Moved to Auckland in 1997 and became involved in Vitamin S in 2002, shortly after its inception. Is a regular performer at Pool Nights as well as at other events featuring national and international artists.
Became interested in photography at much the same time. Started taking photos at gigs, even developing and printing them when time and resources permitted. Continued in the same vein, although not always regularly. Here are a few of the many taken since 2002.
Cheap(ish) digital cameras. Low light. Not always temperature balanced. Slow shutter speed. Hand held. High ISO rating. No flash. Inability to figure out Photoshop or any other available photo editing software. Not professionally printed. Over enlargement. Grain. Blur.
Eva Cadario
Photography and music have been the most persistent of Eva Cadario's periodically changing distractions. More music aficionado than musician, she tries to keep the focus on visual composition.
Paul Smith
(aka reverbaphon; aka peace myth) has been led astray by the allure of music making since the age of three. It took him a while to discover the heady lights of digital celluloid. The two now come together in 'collage concrete'. Paul Smith has suffered for his art. Now it's your turn.
Ivan Mršić is a Croatian New Zealand interdisciplinary artist, percussionist, video composer and improviser, who works in different media using rotational methods based on chance as practice. He performs with sound objects and experimental acoustic instruments that he builds, including modified kitchen sinks and everyday objects. He collaborated with several Japanese artists; Ko Nakajama , Kentaro Taki ,Tsubasa Kawamoto, Shoji Hano, group Superflux, Phil Dadson and provided sound for trans-cryption et al’s exhibition at Michael Lett Gallery. Ivan completed Master of Fine Arts at Elam School of Fine Arts.
This will all be updated as we go…
…watch out.