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

Schoolrun Strut wins Twickenham Film Festival Animation award

Accepting our award
photo credit - www.leothephotographer.co.uk

We had a fantastic night out at Twickenham Film Festival last Friday (26/04/2013) and yes we are proud to announce we walked away with an animation award for our film Schoolrun Strut. Held at Twickenham Stadium's Live Room and attended by members of the local Twickerati, including the Richmond-Upon-Thames' Mayor, it was slick affair with a broad palette of subject matter and genres.

Bill Mudge who wrote the score couldn't unfortunately be there so I accepted the award from Maria Walker of Twickenham Studios with the two stars of the film, my daughter's Effie and Jess.

I was really chuffed to receive this recognition and I rather embarrassed myself by doing a big Rocky style victory salute with the trophy thrust skyward I did some rapid fist pumps. Luckily they didn't let me anywhere near a microphone so I couldn't make a complete fool of myself.


The Trophy

 The film is already on Youtube but will also be carried by the Twickenham Alive Film Festival. They are launching the 2014 Festival right now, so if you would like to submit your film CLICK HERE.

In the absence of a trophy cabinet for the Murder Minutes project the award is currently taking residence on top of my Planar 3 Turntable surrounded by Barbie's and Action Men.

AL.

SchoolRun Strut - Twickenham Film Festival Award Nomination

Bill Mudge and I were bowled over this week with the news that our short film SchoolRun Strut has been nominated for an award at this year's Twickenham Film Festival.

Its great to be coming home after screening SchoolRun Strut in venues further afield. As you know I'm a Twickenham resident and this is a gentle film about my walk to school with my daughters. Every day is different when you walk to school, a strange shadow, the marks left in the road after roadworks, a view over a railway bridge. Of course it helps if the sun is shining!

Not everything is perfect and I hope the film represents that sometimes I'm absolutely knackered hauling my 40 year old bones along South London pavements.

If you would like to join us at the Award Ceremony and Screening evening the tickets are free and you can get them at HERE
Friday 26th April 2013, 7-9.30pm

Be warned that our film is seriously short, only 90 seconds long, so blink and you'll miss it.

AL

Dancing Mackerels in Aabenraa, Denmark

Last November (2012) I was commissioned by fellow artist Eskild Beck to make a film for the Danish town of Aabenraa.
I've worked with Eskild on exhibitions since 2010 but have never met him or even spoken by phone. As he explained the brief in a series of emails I wondered if this was some bizarre hoax or just another artist's pipe dream.

He didn't quite have any specifications or measurements or deadlines for me but he had a VISION!
In this apparition he saw that the 30 foot silos in his native town would be bathed in light and colour. These harsh totems dedicated to an industrial god would be transformed into a carousel of fun and dancing Mackerel.....

Now just wait a minute.....did he just say 30ft Dancing Mackerel.

Now me and Mudge looked at one another. Was this guy for real. This sounded like a chance of a lifetime or it could all end in a Quixotesque oblivion. So for the next 3 months we bounced ideas and emails back and forth, between London and Aabenraa. We relentlessly watched those gritty murder dramas that have defined Denmark here in England over the past year or so. Our Danish improved a little but our nerves we're frayed.
In the end we delved back into Aabenraa's glory days as port and it picturesque architecture.
Eventually it all came together and we sent it off, not thinking for one moment that it would ever make it onto those huge silos. Just a few days ago we got a surprise, a video and stills with our film in full flow.


Aabenraa Silos

We've made it as part of the Murder Minutes project and hope to perform it live sometime in 2013 with a quartet of Bill Mudge, Duncan Eagles, Max Luthert and Peter Ibbetson.

AL 2013

Bill Mudge music for Murder Minutes 2

I've just received the latest score from Bill for Murder Minutes 2.
This time we experimented with a film thats only 59 seconds long to see if we could still maintain a narrative and tension.
Bill's music has created space in a film where none exists, so a big thank you to him.

We'll find a festival or exhibition to enter it in and let you know how we get on.

Alban

ps. drop me an email if you want to know the answer to this murder mystery.

Alban Low & Bill Mudge's Murder Minutes 1 Film

Well here it is.
 'Murder Minutes 1' is up on Youtube.
We wanted to wait until our first physical screening was done and dusted before heading inland to the web. Bill and I were there for the first night at the Lichtmess Cinema, Hamburg. The cinema was packed and we watched the other 28 films on the bill.
I've put some of Bill's photos in a slideshow to the right.
Both Bill and I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who made us so welcome in Hamburg and created a festival with atmosphere and cutting edges.
Alban

Murder Minutes 1 at the Hamburg Shortfilm Festival 2012

Tomorrow night our Murder Minutes 1 will be having its first screening at the Hamburg International Film Festival 2012.
Its a short film even by Festival standards, lasting a massive 1 minute and 40 seconds. Its a stripped down narrative that's inspired by Agatha Christie's 'Destination Unknown'.
Its first outing will be at the Lichtmess Cinema, Hamburg at 7.30pm 30th May 2012.
 We'lll be going along and will post up some photos in due course. Also once we're back I'll upload the film to youtube so you can see it for yourself. See if you can work out who the murder is before the time runs out.
Alban