I’m happy to finally share with the internet (and the TV) the visual ident I made for MTV
If you’re living anywhere except for the US or UK you can see it on your TV screens. For eveyrone else there’s the internet! A massive thanks goes to MTV for inviting me to make an ident - a process which I’ll hopefully write about soon.
Enjoy!
Flatpack Film Festival turns 10 this year!! To help celebrate I’ll be providing a few gifs and animations for their birthday party on 23rd April, 21:00 at The Edge.
Help us blow out the candles on ten years of festivaling, as we celebrate the coming of age and reaching double figures with a traditional Digbeth bacchanal. Our friends electric from over the years will be joining us to make joyful noises and brain-melting visuals including DJ’s Grindi (Club Unlikely), Lisa (Capsule) and Harun (Fierce Festival) and projections from Antonio (Hellocatfood) and Sellotape Cinema.
There will be bubbles, balloons, birthday cake and some competitive party-hat making.
Party starts at 21:00 on 23rd April.
On 23rd April Mothwasp - Matt Watkins and Steven Taylor - will be returning to Flatpack Film Festival to perform as part of the Optical Sound series of events.
Multi-disciplinary artist Matt Watkins joins forces with drummer Steven Taylor (Calvados Beam Trio) to explore the intersection of moving image, noise, electronics, mechanics and abstraction. With a penchant for defunct analogue media the duo experiment with 16mm film, tape, slide projectors, paint and DIY electronics, in conjunction with modern digital apparatus to create live, semi-improvised, audio-responsive cinematic experiences. Taking inspiration from filmmakers Len Lye, Ken Jacobs, the playful graphic sensibility of Bruno Munari, and the demise of Birmingham’s brutalist architecture, Watkins’ baritone guitar, Taylor’s drumming, Cage-inspired prepared piano experiments, field recordings and homemade electronics drive a visual and sonic maelstrom. For fans of noise, drone, chaos and concrete.
Early in March 2016 I was asked by Matt Watkins to give advice in preparing for the performance. It’s been quite an interesting experience, primarily because my practice is mostly digital and one of Mothwasp’s remits is to experiment with analogue technology. The performance takes place 19:15 - 20:30 on April 23rd at the Birmingham and Midland Institute. I won’t be joining them on stage but I encourage you all to see the performance!
It’s been open since 2nd March and now the second part of Permission Taken, taking place at the Bramall Music Building at University of Birmingham, had its launch event on 7th April from 17:30 – 19:30.
Many thanks to everyone that turned up and heard my short speech and drank all the wine. The exhibition continues at the Bramall Music Building until 30th May.
Black Hole Club (the thing that I run) has teamed up with Workshop Birmingham and Backface to present a 3D Scanning and Printing workshop.
Part 1: Saturday 14 May, 10am–5pm. Venue: Eastside Projects
Led by Tim Milward of backface, a 3D scanning and printing company based in Digbeth, this practical workshop will introduce you to Photogrammetry a 3D scanning process that combines multiple photographic images to create high resolution textured digital ‘objects’ which can be 3D printed or used in digital contexts.
In this practical workshop Tim will demonstrate his professional scanning rig and equipment and will also introduce us to free software that artists and designers can use to make 3D scans. Workshop participants will scan a small object and then, under Tim’s guidance, will use free software to clean up and optimise the resulting 3D mesh and prepare it for 3D printing.
Part 2, Monday 16 May, 6–9pm Venue: Vivid Projects, Minerva Works, Fazeley St.
Led by artist Antonio Roberts this workshop will introduce participants to Blender a free and open source 3D creation suite which supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline from modeling, rigging and animation to simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking.
Using the 3D meshes produced during Part 1 as a starting point, Antonio will introduce the basics of modifying meshes and optimizing them for 3D printing.
Full details are available on the Workshop Birmingham website. The total cost for the two day workshop is £25 and tickets can be bought here.