The River at the Twickenham Film Festival 2014

Special Mention Trophy for 'The River'

Its has been a busy month for us on our art and jazz odyssey at the Murder Minutes project. They'll be more to follow but we have our first collaboration and first success to report with improvisation trio, Toy Rokit. We are also just packaging the last few copies of the album we made for the Art Jazzed Up exhibition, and we're obviously excited to show you the results.

Before all that, we have some really good news. The first ever film we made, The River has been awarded a Special Mention at the Twickenham Alive Film Festival this week. Now in its second year the Festival celebrates the ingenuity and originality that is bubbling up in the local area as well as internationally.

10 films were screened on the night with 3 major awards presented for Original Cinematography, Young Filmmaker and International Drama. There were a further 7 Special Mentions, of which we were the proud recipients of one.

The River is one long continuous drawing of the River Crane in Twickenham created by Alban Low. The soundtrack is by Partikel (Eric Ford, Duncan Eagles and Max Luthert) and was inspired by the River Thames at Kingston where two of the trio used to live. There is talk of a further collaboration between Low and Partikel, as the latter's 3rd album is now recorded.

The oddments of Ella Penn

Ella Penn - Inspired by Mike DiRubbo's 'Introspection'

We've had such a variety of entries already from artists, all listening to the same pieces of music but finding such different imagery and inspiration. An exciting time in itself, comparing the different responses from the artists but sometimes it is the pleasure of seeing such a broad range from just one.

Ella Penn - Inspired by
Bill Mudge 'Murder 1' music

Ella Penn, the Brighton based photographer, has given me many surprises since I first received her submission for the Brighton Open exhibition in 2011. True to the nature of the subsequent exhibitions we've been involved in, she has revealed further snapshots of herself and her work. Here once again for Murder Minutes she presents 4 vignettes, teasing us with the opening lines of narrative.




Ella Penn - inspired by Bill Mudge 'Dancing'

These images are very much consistent with Penn's wider Fine Art work. A trawling of the urban environment, playing with light when its loneliness is the only beacon in a sea of black.
There are forays into landscape and abstraction but it's her documentation of us, the human animal, our scratches, detritus and narratives where she is most powerful.



Ella Penn - Inspired by
Max Luthert 'Murder 3'

Her submissions to Murder Minutes possess both strong design elements and the music's themes and rhythms. I can see the repetitive mechanical swirls in Bill's Mudge's 'Dancing' and the ambiguity and threat in Max Luthert's 'Murder 3' but the romance of Mike DiRubbo's flows through me like that shock of pink, exciting and indulgent.

Half Way Between Normal and Isolated, 2013
Ella Penn
Art:Language:Location Cambridge

The magpie tendencies of Ella Penn are not just contained in her bright and shiny eye but in her mind too. Before we see her at the Shaw Gallery on November 11th she will be showing a body of work at the conceptual thoroughbred Art:Language:Location exhibition in Cambridge. Penn's active mind is trained on the 'Oddment' or simply "Items or pieces left over from a larger set". She spent a day in the city photographing found, fragmented pieces of language and documenting these urban canvases where people's interactions leave their mark.

Ella Penn 'Oddments' is showing at the Norfolk Street Project Space, Cambridge from 17th October to 3rd November 2013 as part of Art:Language:Location

There is nothing too odd about Ella Penn herself I might add, but you can make up your own mind about that. Visit www.ellapenn.blogspot.co.uk/

AL.

Sound Sight Exhibition - Submit your art

Jaume Gispert's next album artwork

As a young man I always dreamt of creating the art for an album. Now it is part of my work portfolio and a thoroughly enjoyable experience that allows me to think and work creatively. First I listen to the music, then make notes and start developing a range of responses. Now its your turn to see what you would create and show it in an exhibition.

So, it is with great pleasure that we're launching the Sound Sight Exhibition today and hope you will get involved. Follow the instructions on the Submit page to find out how to take part. It's very straight forward. Send a square image to me at murderminutes@gmail.com.
It's totally FREE.


Alan Carlyon Smith - Cuartor
at the Shaw Gallery

Deadline 11th October 2013 (Midnight) although we do operate a 'first come first served' policy and will close submissions early if necessary.

We'll be opening the exhibition on Monday 11th November 2013 at the Shaw Gallery, Trinity School, Croydon. At the Private View 5 musicians will be performing and I will be drawing live as we collaborate with a generous amount of improvisation. We'll also be announcing the winner of our Album Art Award, chosen by the musicians themselves, along with Curator Alan Carlyon Smith. I'll be handing over a cash prize of £100 to the talented artist or writer.

The musicians working on the project include Duncan Eagles (Tenor & Soprano Saxophone) and Max Luthert (Bass) both from trio Partikel. Peter Ibbetson (drums) joins us from the cutting edge S.E. Collective, and finally Bill Mudge, the mysterious Hammond Organ player.

Joining the quartet will be Mike DiRubbo (alto sax) from New York City, USA on his first ever visit to The UK. As part of his UK tour DiRubbo will be first playing Ronnie Scott's and then following onto the Shaw Gallery.

 

Find out more about these performers on their designated pages (right).

Any questions email me at murderminutes@gmail.com . We would love to see your artwork and make this exhibition a special one.

Alban Low

Luthert & Low in Sputnik Exhibition

Check out Max Luthert and Alban Low's most recent Murder Minutes film at the Sputnik Kino, Berlin this January. The British Shorts exhibition project at Sputnik Kinobar presents drawing, photography and special screenings by award winning experimental filmmakers from 12th-16th January 2013.
This will be the first time its been seen in public, so dont miss it!

Sputnik Kino
Ballhaus Ost
Filmkunst 66