SHUTTER – solo exhibition

14 February – 7 March 2014 (Preview 13 February 5-7pm)
Leeds College of Art Blenheim Walk, Leeds, UK

Shutter
Shutter is a new audio-visual exhibition by film and sound collagist Vicki Bennett that enables us to peer into a parallel cinematic world that exists between the edits, when we are not looking at the screen. http://www.leeds-artexhibitions.co.uk/?p=1180
The exhibition consists of three a/v video works (one projected and two on video monitors) and nine prints.  There is also an edition of 20 of two of these prints.

“The Big Sleep” [2014] Video (19 mins, 12 secs)
Sleep deficient actors drift in and out of consciousness.

“Blink” [2014] Video (1 hour, 35 mins, 39 secs)
Every frame missed while watching A Nightmare on Elm Street.



“Dreaming” [2011] Video (4 mins, 16 secs)


Nine 12×12 inch B/W and Colour Giclee PrintsThe 9 Prints

VICKI BENNETT “SHUTTER”

“Shutter” is a new audio-visual exhibition that enables us to peer into a parallel cinematic world that exists between the edits, when we are not looking at the screen.

Actors aren’t seen to rest a lot in films, considering people on average sleep 8 hours a day.  More often than not, feature films contain a stream of attention-grabbing imagery and noise, and if the mood does slow down there is still dialogue, music and other distractions.

In feature films we don’t see the real-time flow of everyday life, we don’t see the actors queuing, watching TV, reading a book, sleeping.  Nor do we witness the mundane – we see the James Bond car chase but no stopping off to eat a panini.  Reality can be brought back into film by revealing actors in their normal, uneventful moments.  Actors need to sleep as well.  Where do they go after a film has ended?  What do we miss when we blink while watching a movie?  What is it really like on the other side of the screen?  This exhibition addresses these subjects and attempts to take us to these places.

Vicki Bennett - press photo
Vicki Bennett – press photo

2 editions of 20 (below) – purchase from our shop

Bio

Since 1991 Vicki Bennett has been working across the field of audio-visual collage, and is recognized 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 have previously shown work at Tate Modern, The Barbican, Centro de Cultura Digital, Maxxi and Sonar, and performed radio sessions for John Peel and Mixing It.  In 2006 Vicki was the first artist to be given unrestricted access to the entire BBC Archive.  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. https://peoplelikeus.org/category/biography/

Shutter

Documentation – Setting up and Preview night
vwithprintsDSC_3585 previewDSC_3702 printsonwallDSC_3643 settingupDSC_3583 puttingupprintsDSC_3604 PreviewDSC_3717 PreviewDSC_3722

NOTATIONS UK Tour 2013 Travelogue

Here’s an entertaining, informative (we hope) one-hour video travelogue of our recent Notations Tour.  

Featuring performers Bill Orcutt, Rhodri Davies, M.C. Schmidt, Philip Jeck, Jaap Blonk, Steve Noble, Wobbly, Mark Sanders, Tomomi Adachi and Jennifer Walshe.  Oh, and People Like Us.  Also, tour producers Richard Whitelaw and Lee Etherington make appearances.

http://soundandmusic.org/node/8760
https://peoplelikeus.org/2013/notations-tour/

Manchester NOTATIONS – video excerpts

Thanks to those that attended Manchester NOTATIONS at Kraak on 14 Nov 2013 – here are two small edits from the evening with M.C. Schmidt, Jennifer Walshe and Wobbly.  Thanks to Tusk and Sound & Music!

NOTATIONS TRAILER Manchester w/ M.C. Schmidt / Wobbly / Jennifer Walshe. Film by Vicki Bennett on Vimeo.

Notations Trailer, Manchester with M.C. Schmidt, Jennifer Walshe & Wobbly. Film by Vicki Bennett on Vimeo.

Newcastle NOTATIONS – video excerpts

Thanks to all who came to Newcastle NOTATIONS on Halloween, here’s a small excerpt of the evening performed by Rhodri Davies, Mark Sanders & Bill Orcutt.  Thanks to Tusk Music and Sound & Music!

Notations Live at The Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle UK 31/10/2013

Next stop Manchester on 14 November with M.C. Schmidt (Matmos), Wobbly & Jennifer Walshe.  peoplelikeus.org/2013/notations-tour/

This one below is recorded direct from the desk and is matched with the original film of NOTATIONS.

NOTATIONS TOUR ARCHIVE Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle w/ Mark Sanders, Bill Orcutt & Rhodri Davies. 

WE ARE NOT AMUSED

“We Are Not Amused” – the second of our two films made for Animate Projects and Channel 4 TV which was screened on 5 September 2013 is now available for viewing:


We Are Not Amused. A film by Vicki Bennett [2013]

Who knows where ideas come from? You or me? Or THEM? The Muses are angry and they want their ideas back! This is a story of thieving and reappropriation, staged on a mythological platform.

Interview with Vicki Bennett
http://www.animateprojects.org/interviews/interview_with_vicki_bennett1

Screenings
August 2015 – uSurp Zone5 Festival, London
March 2015Ann Arbor Film Festival
November 2014 – Screening at Other Cinema, San Francisco
August 2014 – Screening of We Are Not Amused at Sao Paulo 25th International Short Film Festival 
May 2014 – Screening of We Are Not Amused at Oberhausen Film Festival, London, entered for the International Film Category competition
November 2013 Underwire Festival, London
November 2013 – Screening of We Are Not Amused and The Golem – An Inanimate Matter at Bradford Animation Festival

Download stills and photos of work in progress from both We Are Not Amused and The Golem – An Inanimate Matter
https://peoplelikeus.org/piccies/random/pictures-and-screenshots.zip

WeAreNotAmused-1
Newton misses a trick in We Are Not Amused
WeAreNotAmused-2
Muybridge motions defy gravity in We Are Not Amused
WeAreNotAmused-3
A muse tampers with Edison’s recording device in We Are Not Amused
WeAreNotAmused-4
Beethoven just can’t get the fourth note of this fifth in We Are Not Amused
WeAreNotAmused-5
Early man is going to be late in We Are Not Amused
WeAreNotAmused-6
Muse defaces and impressionist painting in We Are Not Amused

Background on the commission
http://www.animateprojects.org/news/our_secret_monsters_will_be_revealed

Vicki Bennett on Animate Projects website
http://www.animateprojects.org/films/by_artist/b/v_bennett

The Magical Misery Tour now on UbuWeb!

We are very pleased to present…

Our audiovisual performance from 2011, THE MAGICAL MISERY TOUR on UbuWeb.

http://ubu.com/film/plu_misery.html

This concert was created between June and September 2011 and premiered at “The Sound of Fear” at London’s Southbank Centre on 3rd September 2011, under the working title of “Horror Collage”. Now that the full length live set has been completed we have changed the name to something more fitting with the content. The source material is 95% from horror movies, with the content portraying not so much a scary nightmare but a journey through the underworld of everyday human experiences. It is not true to say you do not relate to this kind of horror movie. Truth is stranger than fiction. Having said this, People Like Us, as ever, see the positive and sometimes humorous side of the most ghastly scenerios, and by accompanying the edited found feature film footage with new sample collage pop songs, elevate you from the swamp.

More media from this project here.

Thanks Ubu!