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.

Melanie Ezra - Swansea Scissorhands

Melanie Ezra - Inspired by Duncan Eagles

The high priestess of blades has sent an early submission to the Murder Minutes project in her own swashbuckling style. Melanie Ezra is a ferocious exhibitor, most recently beaching her spiked realities on Welsh shores but with regular raids across the Atlantic to breach U.S. defences.



The Ezra Art recipe book is a tapas styled affair, plenty of snappy dishes with a generous sprinkling of artistic flair. Her latest creations are currently being served in the solo show, 'Small Worlds' at The Brunswick, Swansea until the 7th December 2013.

Small World -
Melanie Ezra

Each world starts with a photograph which is spliced and diced as she takes apart her memories and time itself. After this is a period of reconstruction, slotting in sentiments and anecdotal evidence that has become nestled in her brain alongside the freeze frame moment the original photograph was taken. I have to tell you that for her entry to this exhibition she's added some extra ingredients to spice things up. The main dish is a reconfigured photograph of a dead rat seasoned with charcoal ash and incense.

Melanie Ezra on Hasting's Pier, 2011

I first met Ezra in 2011 at the Rarities exhibition on Hasting's Pier and I thought to myself, here's an artist who goes the extra mile. I don't mean just metaphorically but geographically too. She had set out from Swansea that morning and traversed Wales and England to make the grand opening of this outdoor show. She's never far from a pair of scissors, and she was on hand to hold the ribbon as it was cut (left).

Once again she's shown true dedication and will be negotiating the national train networks to be with us on the 11th November for the Private View of this exhibition. So come down and meet her at the Shaw Gallery, Trinity School, Croydon and view her cutting edge art. Don't be scared to shake her hand though, our Swansea Scissorhands will be leaving her artistic shears at home.

If you can't wait until then, you can find Melanie Ezra at http://melanieezra.blogspot.co.uk/

AL.

We currently have 138 submissions to the exhibition (either entered or spaces reserved), so there are still over 100 places left if you would like to submit work.

Mark Lomax - The Artist's Hand

Mark Lomax - Inspired by Duncan Eagles' Eternal Art

The first submission arrived at Murder Minutes HQ last night just a few hours after the call-out was launched to artists worldwide. Scotland was quickest off the blocks with artist Mark Lomax dipping on the line to win the photo finish.



If this is your first visit to the project then here's a brief synopsis. We have invited artists and writers to make an image/text that draws its inspiration from a piece of music. They will be exhibited at the Shaw Gallery, Trinity School, Croydon on 11th November 2013. Links to the eight pieces of music and all the other details are on the Submit page.



Mark Lomax - Peel

Mark Lomax is no sprinter when it comes to exhibitions or album art, more a Mo Farah of assemblage. Although best known for his composite photography and gridded visions of road markings and other urban forms, he recently has experimented by creating a world of blue china metamorphosis.

Ephemera by Attirtion
Artwork - Mark Lomax

It is his past life that rears back into view with his latest submission to the Sound Sight Exhibition. Lomax was the artist behind 9 album images from 1984 to 2010 by the experimental ambient group Attrition. Whose dark waves of sound emerged from the 1980's post-punk world of an unforgiving industrial Coventry. His most famous album cover was his hand for Attrition's Ephemera album (1995) which became their haunting calling card for years to come.

Once again Mark Lomax holds his hand up and is counted. This time he was inspired by saxophonist Duncan Eagles film score, who recorded this composition with guitarist Leo Appleyard for the Murder Minutes project.
If you would also like to be inspired by it then give it a listen. So thank you Mark for firing the starting pistol on what we hope will be an inspirational exhibition.

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

BFI Simulated Minds Shortlisted for award

Eternal Art of the Simulated Minds at the BFI

Here at Murder Minutes HQ we've just had the most wonderful news that our film 'Eternal Art of the Simulated Mind' has been shortlisted for an award at the 4th Walthamstow International Film Festival.

We're especially fond of this film festival and once again they've done us proud by having a celebratory screening of all the shortlisted films at Britain's home of cinema the BFI South Bank on the 8th July 2013. The judging panel meets before the screening but announces the winner of the various categories and overall winner afterwards. The judges this year include Noel Goodwin, head of youth education at the BFI; Barry Bliss, Walthamstow-based film director of international success Art Is; rising video-art star, Georgina Starr, whose installations and experimental films have been shortlisted in the Turner Prize and Ska legend, actress and presenter Pauline Black, who originally shot to fame with The Selecter in the 1980s with hits including 3-Minute Hero.

If you would like to see all the entries then the film festival will screen a programme of international three-minute shorts at The Stow Film Lounge on Saturday, July 13 and Sunday, July 14.

Entrance is free, from 2pm to 5pm. www.stowfilmlounge.com

Alban Low (Images), Duncan Eagles (Music) and Harvey Wells (Producer) will be there and we'll report back with all the news. Unfortunately we will miss Leo Appleyard (Music), who can't be with us on the day.

Fingers Crossed.

Eternal Art in Walthamstow and Kingston

July is going to be a busy time for the Murder Minutes project with our latest film, Eternal Art of the Simulated Mind, reaching out into the wider community. First we premiere at one of our favourite festivals the Walthamstow International Film Festival.
www.e17films.com

Screening at....
Vestry House Museum
Community Room
Vestry Rd
Walthamstow, London E17 9NH
020 8496 4391
www.walthamforest.gov.uk/vestry-house
on the 13th-14th July.

I'll take some pictures and do another blogpost in due course.

Our second outing in July will be at Kingston University on Thursday the 25th.
It will be screened as part of the exhibition of the same name.
The exhibition documents two days on the simulated mental health ward at Kingston University. It was a unique experience and I felt privileged to be granted access to this high octane environment where students from the School of Nursing at the Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education, hone their mental health skills.
Although no stranger to sketching live performances, nothing could prepare me for this emotionally charged assignment. The artwork reveals what makes this programme so special and why it won Teaching Innovation Of The Year at the Student Nursing Times Awards 2012.

But...be warned! It is a strong film with sharp edges and has a very powerful score by two young bloods of the contemporary Jazz scene in London, Duncan Eagles and Leo Appleyard. Luckily we've had psychotherapist Harvey Wells as our Producer on the film so we've been in safe hands.

AL.

Alban Low & Duncan Eagles' Eternal Art

Eagles and Low's latest film

It's all in the bag.
After several weeks of work we've finished our film 'Eternal Art of the Simulated Mind'. It documents 6 hours spent by Alban in the simulated mental health ward at Kingston University.
A unique experience that is the closest that the project has got to documentary.
It will be screened as part of Alban's exhibition at Kingston University, Frank Lampl Building, Kingston Hill Campus, Kingston on Thursday 25th July from 4-6pm. Come along!

Although it's only 2 minutes long it has a raw edge to it, so be prepared. There's an original score composed by Duncan Eagles and performed by himself and Leo Appleyard. We've added a bit about Leo now on the pages to your right.

A special thanks to psychotherapist Harvey Wells who helped produce the film.

ODD film in production

Our latest film in the Murder Minutes series is in production. Once again it takes it's original inspiration from the murder mystery novels of Agatha Christie.
Its not strictly a 'who dunnit' this time and doesn't unravel in linear form. I've concentrated on 11 of the chararcters from the book 'The Pale Horse'. My daughters and I spent a day re-inacting the mannerisms of the characters using only our hands.
For some time I've been wanting to create a film that was influenced by the film NY Export: Opus Jazz, performed by the New York City Ballet dancers and reimagining Jerome Robbins‘ 1958 “ballet in sneakers”. I was deeply affected by the way the music and art flow together and feeds from one another.
In its simplest sense I'm making finger ballet.
It should be finished around Christmas 2012 and then I'll send it onto Duncan Eagles to record the soundtrack.

AL