Photography: Shirlaw: Philistine Havas: Intellectual

 

 

images courtesy of Peloton Gallery, Surry Hills NSW

Photography came rolling back recently from Peloton following the Shirlaw: Philistine Havas: Intellectual performance (see previous post). The performance primarily surrounding the friendship between it's two subjects is here on display including several pics highlighting outfit changes on my behalf (true to the nature of the performance). Reinterpreting scenes from several films including Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood, True Romance and Pulp Fiction we integrated Hollywood script into daily conversation as we do best, for two hours! Some lucky people watched.

J

Shirlaw: Philistine Havas: Intellectual

Next Friday (19.10.12) my best friend Daniel Havas and l will be endevouring on our first collaborative performance as part of Peloton Gallery's Performance Month 2012, 'Shirlaw: Philistine Havas: Intellectual' a celebration of friendship. The Shirlaw/Havas kinship presents highs and lows, silences and successes and a mutual interest in the adaption of cinema into daily life. The performance details a nine year span which will be documented and presented to the evening's audience, who literally have the opportunity to consume these events and memories.

Peloton Gallery
78A Campbell St Surry Hills NSW 2010
performance time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
  
Jim S

Cocksucker Bruise zine launch (Syd) w/ Sex Tape & De'von Sue

 On Thursday night (04.10.12) the usual Sex Tape bedroom show was expanded to a kitchen sized event with the arrival of Jack Mannix and an armful of his 'Cocksucker Bruise' zines, both fresh from Melbourne. The live music element of the evening pictured above was joined in by myself (Sex Tape) on the Moogs and my housemate and local music talent De'von Sue on the Jaguar. It was great to hear Jack spilling out some Circle Pit numbers as well as a Clean cover, he seemed to enjoy himself and the crowd took it in nicely, just in case they were put off or confused by watching the show in such an oddly intimate space. Copies of the zine were available (best you check out the content yourself at the link below) and naturally the event broke down into a good house party after the set. 

 http://cocksuckerbruise.tumblr.com/

Love,

Jim S

Sex Tape notes

Sex Tape - The Musical
Alaska Projects
Kings Cross Car Park level 5

12:00pm 21.08.12 - 12:00pm 22.08.12

The above performance shots are several of the documentation fragments from last week's twenty four hour Sex Tape performance. The intention for me with this performance was simple; to resolve some creative arguing i'd had with myself over what way to go in my slowly developing musical direction. The drama took place in a recently adopted storeroom in the Kings Cross Car Park by Alaska Projects. My one-man play involving three different characters, the long dispute involved one character (1) who played an ambitious young rock guitarist, another (3) who represented a more anti-establishment, artistic 'non-musician' and lastly another character (2) who acted as a the mutual friend/enemy between the two and often directed the discussions and frequent arguments. The change from one character to another was suggested by a subtle change of outfit between the characters and they generally had their set places in the room when acting.

Giving this inner discussion a dramatic public forum had the absurdest qualities l artistically enjoy and should that have become boring, the twenty four hour opportunity to play undisturbed with my music gear would make it worthwhile. The answers l was looking for were discovered early in, after about three hours having the assistance of the wall to document the discussions on (see photo 4) I decided that live music audiences today are more contemplative and needed to be treated that way, that l should be aiming for more of an ambient direction; lengthening out performances and trying to achieve my aims in more subtle ways. Like most current live music fans l would have really enjoyed to have lived and partied in a time before draconian OH&S measures and over zealous venue management, or maybe just when live shows were more volatile and extreme for reasons somehow lost these days, but given the current tamer attitude, l thought that was one of the most productive discussions l had with myself (technically) during this Sex Tape performance, something will be took on board with my next bedroom show in the coming week.

Until l'm too old to continue performing under the title Sex Tape with any dignity, it will always remain an imaginative creative outlet used again and again in performances like this. I tend to think Sex Tape has probably been used by some other group somewhere in the world with at least a few releases under their belt so it wouldn't fly for long with me adopting the name anyhow. Proper music releases as with all my output will simply go under Jim Shirlaw in future.

My very best wishes

Jim S

Australian landscape for sleep

 Terror acrylic and oil pastel on paper 72 x 40cm (2012)

The painting above marks the final work in what has been a study this year into the Australian landscape following the Alice Springs excursion in July 2011. All former works in this series can be viewed several posts ago. I've been confident with this medium combination of oil pastel drawn across a typically hot acrylic ground for the last six years; often it provides success in a sparing amount, contained in more or less the quantity of a sketch. The expectation with these works is usually that the reddish-golden background should be demonstrative of the Australian sun and subsequent reflection in the landscape. In the case of 'Terror' l also sense it provides a menacing quality and hopefully resonates with the infamous stories and fears of the murders and abductions synonymous with the Australian red center. I don't think l would (haven't previously) been interested in using this formula to capture the landscape and light conditions of environments elsewhere (Europe recently)

A new drawing series is now developing with a focus on sleep.
Enjoy the images to come.     

Jim S

Sex Tape - The Musical - Sydney

SEX TAPE - The Musical - Sydney

12:00pm August 21 - 12:00pm August 22

Situated on ground level, Kings Cross car park (Level 5) Sex Tape - The Musical is a fiery new twenty-four hour drama about powerful union, devastating betrayal and the terrible truth about the quality of it's subjects. Jim Shirlaw plays Character 1, 3 and their mutual and ultimately ill-fated friend Character 2, collectively composing a wall of opinionated savagery weaved into the sonic wail of self-made synthesizers and modified Fender Telecasters. Truths intimate and personal as well as grandiose and universal will be leaked hour after hour with no sympathy to the art in question..

Alaska Projects
http://home.alaskaprojects.com/
Kings Cross Car Park, Level 5 (ground floor, on the right)

"Tear Down This Tower"

Alexander Cross released "Tear Down This Tower" this week, a six track remix album of local talents taking their own stabs off material from Cross' recent Hard Road EP. Amongst better notables featured on this release l'm proud to say l have my first recording out in the open with my (Sex Tape) remix of 'Haunted Man' as well as the creation of the album artwork for the digital release  

http://alexandercross.bandcamp.com/album/tear-down-this-tower-remix-ep


Jim S

work in progress

For all those looking to avoid the ever-growing disaster of Sydney traffic l have discovered an intriguing and successful technique! When you get into your car and begin moving with the intention of reaching a destination of reasonable distance, also keep open in one hand an awkwardly sized tupperware container filled with hot (temperature) food with the full intention of eating it whilst stopping at red lights on your jourmey. If you keep this intention firmly in mind alongside the task of driving the car (especially if it's a race against time to get the meal eaten at these regular intervals before it gets cold) YOU WILL NOT STOP

Playing this game successfully will be a measure of your commitment to keep the task of eating at the forefront of your mind, adding some cursing and induced stress from not stopping will also please the mysterious rulers of this situation; so, if you can keep your real concern a secret (to get where you want to go quickly) you'll be greatly rewarded for your efforts. Go and try it now!  

Best,

Jim S

New paintings, sketches and illustrations by Jim Shirlaw 2012

Coloured Wreckage 2012, acrylic and mixed media on paper 55 x 46 (cm) 

   

General Population Study 2012 acrylic and mixed media on paper 64 x 46.5 (cm) 

 

Study for Torn Trailer 2012 acrylic and mixed media on paper 70 x 45.5 (cm)

  

 

  #46 Reprise 2012 ink and pen on paper 29.7 x 21cm

 

 Sex Poem #46 2012 ink and pen on paper 29.7 x 21cm

Winter Page 2012 acrylic on paper 74.5 x 56 (cm)

 

 

Winter Portrayal 2012 acrylic on paper 66 x 47.5 (cm)

   

No Light Left 2012 acrylic on paper 57 x 42 (cm) 

Study for Birdsville Terrain 2012 acrylic and mixed media on paper 69 x 47 (cm)

Aggression Beach 2012 acrylic and mixed media on paper 80 x 50 (cm)

 

Cloud Shadow 2012 acrylic and mixed media on paper 70 x 40 (cm)

  December Territory 2012, acrylic and mixed media on paper 69 x 45 (cm)

Above are mainly a range of recently completed studies and illustrations made in the studio thus far in 2012. As mentioned in previous blog posts (readpalmforest.blogspot.com) the pastel works were largely sourced from an expedition to the Australian Northern Territory last year. This environment provided a brilliant resource to further practice with the palette i've devised for these types of studies; largely hot and earthly colours against a warm ground. There's still another two of these studies unpublished here, will provide in an upcoming post. The works here that appear starkly different ie monochromatic were mainly created around another trip to America and Europe over a portion of this last winter (our Summer) the two works with ink and pen on paper definitely profited from being in an environment where it was conducive to stay indoors for long periods of time; some strong romantic inspiration was reason to create them as illustrations to poems l was writing then at the same time; check out some of the earlier posts this year from the readpalm blog inserted above. Enjoy and please feel free to leave some feedback here if you like. More output well on it's way.  

Jim Shirlaw

End of one series, beginning of another (almost)

works in progress (home studio 2012)

The near completion of a new landscape series is imminent, which l think presents some important developments from previous work using similar mediums. Certainly the latest works have better structure to them (to all be better presented here soon upon completion) mainly thanks to integrating bold pencil use in the forms to ground them against the bright colour use; in this series, to describe the Australian outback. These new works signify the end of a series l don't have a whole lot of conceptual use for but are good to have done after being inspired by a trip to the red center last year.

Next up is a far more important series; my new Interiors/Exteriors (working title) series; investigating space indoors and outdoors, man-made vs nature, a sense of competitiveness; not sure at this time. They'll be a lot of liberty in the detail given to 'Interior' works that are less subject to nature and have been purposely arranged to retain this composition for a period of time, thus providing the amount of time to sit night after night under artificial light and carefully render these objects with selected detail in a virtually undisturbed environment, plenty of still-life involved here. New works belonging to the 'Exteriors' division, being far more exposed to the elements and subject to nature's daily cycle (even just in terms of light) will be much more fleeting, gestural and likely sketched as a foundation on paper for a final work or derived from brief studies made on the go. 

Since being back home from overseas (new home/new studio) i've endeavored with my new found time to properly kick off some new directions with painting that i've been plotting for the last twelve months. These works tie in with the Interiors/Exteriors focus for the next little while, that whilst in a completely different style to their bright red acrylic/pastel cousins tie into the same movement at the moment to explore an abundance about nature with the Exteriors and then a restrained, governed man-made environment with the Interiors.

Structually these new works are going to be made on wood panel and will involve heavy translucent oil-based layering off set by areas of relief sculpting.. The boards are primed, more soon!

Jim S

Sex Tape: the KONY shows

pics by Jordan Dorjee

Sound Series 04.05.12

After several weeks of Thursday night live music bedroom shows, the experience has unveiled that early difficulty of playing live music l presume all concerned must steer through, in my case; a mix of nerves and rookie playing power. Thankfully in this scenerio l've had the cushioned surrounding of my own bedroom and known friends over to nurture these first tender steps but the main problem has been how to provide something more performative rather than relying on the one pursuit of making music. Currently having to handle the sets solo with so many different systems and interfaces demanding coherency, it hasn't really been that successful and l don't think spending the whole set stationary, gazing down at the equipment sprawled on the bed is all that commanding.. Not having any written songs doesn't add much to the equation either.. getting there.

At a recent set (actually outside the bedroom at the Sound Series event on Parramatta Rd Leichhardt Sydney, pics above) l began the injection of other-worldliness, performance-projection that l've been needing; absurd but enough of an angle to get things moving correctly. With the ridiculousness of the recent KONY 2012 campaign, i've decided to harness this into the shows; creating (at least for the time being) something of a Kony performance alter-ego. Using my Moog pedals and Loop Station l surrounded the venue space with oscillation patters, sample + hold motions etc and then instructed vocally through the loop station the instructions for the audience to follow me once l ran outside, and like in the temporary hunt for Kony, try and find me within the close vicinity of the venue. 

When discovered as l was, numerous times over the course of a thirty minute set, l would go back into the venue, set up a new series of loops and oscillations and then hide once more to the ongoing looped instructions given to the audience. Absurd and probably even stupid, but it's been the first music show l think l've managed to make more performance-based than musical-attempt and Sex Tape has always strictly been set out as a combination of the two, leaning more towards performance. I'll call it a positive step forward, more to come.

All the best,

Jim S

Sex Tape bedroom shows

For over the last month i've been holding regular bedroom shows in my division of a Surry Hills share house in inner city Sydney. Mainly as a format to force-learn how to play music and perform to an audience, as well as execute creative matters with my own recipe of humour and interest (musically especially) in DIY and low-fi manners and methods. I've always found most of my favourite acts, live especially, in among many things tend to keep things partially a satire; working irony in an intelligent and constructive way, mainly not taking themselves too seriously, which l think is a big turn-off. Originally the concept of this performance direction was to stage a 'Sex Tape bedroom residency' presumably over the course of four-six weeks, but while each show has been well-ordered and not much of a fuss l've decided to just keep it going, especially while l have the benefit of living and exhibiting my abilities in a central location.

For the time being it has been a bit too demanding as a novice musician to get too entertaining with my performance. The concentration and effort of having everything sounding musical and sync'd requires far too much concentration. More to be desired here.

For any want-to-be musicians out there, l strongly recommend a similar style of playing because as i've discovered, which has been backed up by a lot of better musician friends; playing to an audience is a very good and accelerated way of learning how to play. Coming up with thirty minutes of material and being able to pull it off consistently to a group of friends weekly will provide real reason to practice daily and teaches you a lot about what sound/style you're after when you have to make it gel over a period of time to your own and others expectations. Daunting but highly worthwhile :)

Might do a second entry about this?

30.04.12 (currently)

Jim - Yamaha Portatone keyboard - Moog MuRF - Korg KP3 - amp

- Sex Tape -

 

  

Jim S

d. South

Hobart ( /ˈhoʊbɑrt)

The state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony, Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as a "Hobartian". The city is located in the state's south-east on the estuary of the Derwent River. The skyline is dominated by Mount Wellington at 1,271 metres (4,170 ft) high. The city is the financial and administrative heart of Tasmania, also serving as the home port for both Australian and French Antarctic operations.