Artist statement for People Like Us

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Vicki Bennett - press photoPeople Like Us 2016

Since 1991 British artist Vicki Bennett has been working across the field of audio-visual collage, and is recognised as an influential and pioneering figure in the still growing area of sampling, appropriation and cutting up of found footage and archives.  Working under the name People Like Us, Vicki specialises in the manipulation and reworking of original sources from both the experimental and popular worlds of music, film and radio. People Like Us believe in open access to archives for creative use. In 2006 she was the first artist to be given unrestricted access to the entire BBC Archive. People Like Us have previously shown work at Tate Modern, Whitechapel Gallery, The Barbican, Centro de Cultura Digital, V&A, Sydney Opera House, Royal Albert Hall, Pompidou Centre, Maxxi and Sonar, and performed radio sessions for John Peel and Mixing It. The ongoing sound art radio show ‘DO or DIY’ on WFMU has had over a million “listen again” downloads. since 2003. The People Like Us back catalogue is available for free download hosted by UbuWeb.
Longer Biography
Filmography
Exhibitions and Editions
Selected Performances and Screenings
Commissions and Awards
Discography

 

BIOGRAPHY

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Under the name “People Like Us,” artist Vicki Bennett has been making work available via CD, DVD and vinyl releases, radio broadcasts, concert appearances, gallery exhibits and online streaming and distribution for 25 years. Since her first publication in 1992, Bennett has developed an immediately recognisable aesthetic repurposing pre-existing footage to craft audio and video collages with an equally dark and witty take on popular culture. She sees sampling and appropriation as folk art sourced from the palette of contemporary media and technology, with all of the sharing and cross-referencing incumbent to a populist form. Embedded in her work is the premise that all is interconnected and that claiming ownership of an “original” or isolated concept is both preposterous and redundant.

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People Like Us/Vicki Bennett Filmography

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“Gone, Gone Beyond” 10 Screen / 8 Speaker work, in progress [2016-2017]
“Can’t Stop What’s Coming” video edit for THE THE [2017]
“Optimized! Expanded Radio & Artist Residency at WFMU with People Like Us & Let’s Paint TV” documentary film [2016]
“Optimized! Special: The Dusty Show with Clay Pigeon – At Union Square, Manhattan” documentary edited by Vicki Bennett [2016]
“Ultimate Care II Excerpt 5” – official video for Matmos [2015]
“Nothing Can Turn Into A Void” – documentary film about People Like Us edited by Vicki Bennett and directed by Carl Abrahamsson [2015]
“CCCitations” [2015]
“Citation City” (live performance) [2015]
“Art Heist” (film – under construction) [2015-]
“The Big Sleep” [2014]
“BLINK” [2014]
“Notations UK Tour Travelogue” documentary [2013]
“We Are Not Amused” [2013]
“The Golem – An Inanimate Matter” [2013]
“Notations” [2013]
“Gesture Piece” [2013]
“BWPWAP” [2013] Continue reading →

List of Residencies, Commissions & Collaborations

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Development of 8 speaker / 10 screen audiovisual installation with Recombinant Media Labs [2016/2017/2018++]

“Can’t Stop What’s Coming” video for THE THE [2017]

Curation of radio station and artist residency (with John Kilduff) Optimized! on WFMU funded by National Endowment for the Arts [June 2016]

No One Is An Island radio commission for WDR to be broadcast 9 April 2016 on WDR 3 [Summer 2015-Winter 2015]

Curation of films for Concert of Collage, Watershed, Bristol [September 2015]

Nothing Can Turn Into A Void, editing a feature length doc film by Carl Abrahamsson about Vicki Bennett/People Like Us [Spring 2015]

Arts Council England award creating a new live a/v performance Citation City and new short films with artist soundtracks pdf [Spring 2014-Spring 2015]

Book collaboration with Gregor Weichbrodt The Fundamental Questions [Summer 2014]

Those Who Do Not T Shirt Commission [Summer 2014]
Printed in a light blue and white on an electric blue T-shirt with The Wire logo and Vicki Bennett Those Who Do Not printed in light blue on the back of the neck. Limited edition of 100 shirts.

Solo gallery show Shutter at Leeds College of Art pdf [Winter-Spring 2014]

Touring award from Sound and Music for Notations [Autumn/Winter 2013]

Two short animation films for Animate Projects/Channel 4 television, UK as part of their Random Acts Series [March 2013-July 2013] broadcast on national television in Autumn 2013 pdf

Creation of online film with 7 artist soundtracks Gesture Piece, commissioned by Pixel Palace at Tyneside Cinema pdf [Spring/Summer 2013] Continue reading →

Abridged Too Far album now on Vinyl on Discrepant

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PEOPLE LIKE US – ABRIDGED TOO FAR [Discrepant LP CREP41]
Release date 31st March 2017 – available now!

ABRIDGED TOO FAR is the first of a series of vinyl by Discrepant to celebrate this being the 25th year of People Like Us publishing albums. First released in digital-only form in 2004 exclusively for UbuWeb, this album includes Vicki’s John Peel session and performances for WFMU, amongst others, both from 2003, and now comes packaged with brand new artwork designed by Vicki Bennett.

Abridged Too Far LP – UK – price including P&P: $21.50
Buy in UK

Abridged Too Far LP – EUROPE – price including P&P: $22.50
Buy in rest of Europe

Abridged Too Far LP – ELSEWHERE – price including P&P: $24
Buy in rest of world

People Like Us LP launch at Cafe Oto

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DISCREPANT PRESENTS: PEOPLE LIKE US, MIKE COOPER + TYPHONIAN HIGHLIFE (SPENCER CLARK) at CAFE OTO, LONDON
TUESDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2017, Doors open 7.30PM
£12 (door) £10 ADVANCE £8 CAFE OTO MEMBERS

People Like Us will perform at Cafe Oto in February as part of an evening hosted by the label Discrepant, to celebrate the release of LPs by People Like Us, and Mike Cooper. People Like Us will be doing a combination from four different previous performances, commencing at approximately 8.30pm. Full listing here.

“Abridged Too Far” is the first of a series of vinyl by Discrepant to celebrate this being the 25th year of People Like Us publishing albums.  It has only ever been available in digital form on UbuWeb.

The LP pressing has been held up at the pressing plant and will not be ready for the concert, but you can pre-order direct from us NOW: http://peoplelikeus.org/2017/abridged-too-far-album-now-vinyl/

OR… IF you come to the concert you can fill in your email address at the merchandise table to exclusively purchase Abridged Too Far for £10. This is exclusive to this concert only.  The Mike Cooper album is already available on Discrepant’s site.

No One Is An Island now on UbuWeb

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No One Is An Island, a radio piece by Vicki Bennett originally broadcast on WDR in 2016 is now available for listening and download at UbuWeb. http://www.ubu.com/sound/plu_noone.html

Thanks to the following for taking their time to give their thoughts about ideas:
Ergo Phizmiz, Savanna, Rowen, Mathilde, Lila, Andrew Sharpley, Ava, Cameron, Katja Seltmann, Rick Prelinger, Iain Chambers, Jeff Carey and Falco, Graham Duff, Kenneth Goldsmith, Charlie Lewis, Henry Lowengard, Tim Maloney, Kevin Hamilton, Akāshamitra, Dorian Jones and Lenny, Marcus Boon and Jesse, Saraka, Suddhaka and Sunayaka.  

No One Is An Island
Where do ideas come from? Are they our own or are we channeling some spark from a larger flame? In this programme we examine the relationship between artists, writers, scientists and philosophers and the receiving, possession and transmission of ideas.
Culture is a complex process of sharing and signification. Meanings are exchanged, adopted, and adapted through acts of communication. The tools we use – the photocopier, camera, computer, encourage, in fact insist upon the act of cutting, copying and pasting – it is second nature. Through mimicry and repetition we learn.

Original post with more info on the initial broadcast: http://peoplelikeus.org/2016/radio-premiere-wdr-no-one-is-an-island/