www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIp1H9D4SGE

Various Photos -- VCA Dance Transmutation CLICK HERE to see the full set

VCA Dance - Transmutation Flier

So it has finally come to the end of my days at the Victorian College of the Arts, and as such, my final show has rolled around… Very quickly actually.

So…

VCA Dance and VCA Production presents “Transmutation” four new works by Brett Daffy, Neil Adams, Anna Smith, and Phillip Adams, involving the 1st and 2nd year Dance Students at the VCA. I am the Lighting Designer for Brett Daffy’s work, The Lockard, and Anna Smith’s work, As Yet Un-Named.

So please feel free to click on the image above to see the full PDF flier or click here to view the VCA website.

Undergraduate Dance Season 1: VCA Dance VCA Production Years 1 & 2

New works by Choreographers: Brett Daffy, Neil Adams, Anna Smith and Phillip Adams

Start date

12/11/2008

End date

15/11/2008

Dates and Times

8pm on Wed 12 to Sat 15 Nov 2008
2pm on Sat 15 Nov 2008

Cost

$20.50/$15.50

Contact

Gasworks Arts Park

Telephone

03 9699 3253

Further Information
Gasworks Arts Park, Cnr Graham and Pickles Streets, Albert Park
(Melways Ref 2J H7)

The story behind my most recent light sculpture, begins with my second year lighting class at the Victorian College of the Arts. Rachael Bourke, a prominent and award winning Melbourne lighting design was our guest lecturer for a series of 8 classes, replacing our resident lighting lecturer, John Comeadow. Rachael’s most famous work, is the award winning architectural lighting design of the Victorian Arts Centre’s, Hamer Hall. She also has a very long list of stage and other credits to her name.

“Pink out of a corner – To Jasper Johns 1963″ by Dan Flavin

“Untitled (to Paddy)” by Dan Flavin

During our work with Rachel we were guided through what she believed are the main elements of light and lighting design. One of these elements encouraged us to look at artists that used light or lighting to create or make some form of art. The scope was broad and included many photographers and sculpture artists. She presented a series of artists that shaped her work, one of which included Dan Flavin, a light artist who’s work included only commercially available fluroscent lighting fixtures. I was immediately taken by his work due to its ability to make light a beautiful object, and to play with the viewers idea of light, especially fluorescent lighting. From these examples we were encouraged to design a work that took elements from these artists’ designs. My original work is shown below.

Untitled -1, by Geordie Barker  – The Shed, August 2007.

This work was took elements from two of Dan Flavins works, “Pink out of a corner – To Jasper Johns”, and “Untitled (to Paddy)”, both featured above. My fascination for this mans work revolves around his use of such a difficult fixture, and his linear focus. My work as displayed uses two fluorescent tubes, one blue and one white and is similar to one of Flavin’s pieces,  “Untitled, (to Paddy)” which features one 6ft fluro tube with a smaller one strapped to it, leaning against a wall. The reason I chose to alter the location of the tube (into a corner) was due to my belief that this would enhance the texture on the environment around the light source. I chose to use two of the same sized tubes to keep some symmetry.

Flavin’s use of only fluorescent fixtures was unusual, due to the limited control capabilities of these lights. He took a usual, predictable, practical everyday light fixture and played with its parameters. One of these was position, a key component in his work, as shown in every piece he ever made. Other aspects include colour, line, reflection, lighting as object, lighting on object, shape, pattens and space.

I hope to create works in the future that push the boundries of lighting sculpture and make people think twice about normal light fittings. For more of my past work please CLICK HERE!

The view from the sound room in the bio box is stunning! Tim Ross is the lighting designer. Taken in Grant Street Theatre, as part of the VCA Production Puppetry Solos 2008. I am one of the sound designers for this production.

I would love to invite everyone along, but it is invite only, so please contact me to book tickets if you are interested!

Cheers!

I am now meeting with them, to co-ordinate the evening, the launch, the visual and audible aspects. I am so amazingly excited about the idea of working with such a virgin space, and with people at their peak, and to create a first impression on the people who enter the space. I have the opportunity to draw them into the space, to keep them coming back, to get them interested in the space, conversing with the space.

This is why I do this crazy unsustainable work, because it gets my blood pumping, my mind working and I get a rush. Who needs drugs, when you have art.