Thursday, 1 March 2012

Street installation and performance


Baby, where are the fine things you promised me? gently invites the public to reflect on the lost utopia of the quarter-acre block. Based on one of the country's earliest models for simple houses for the working class, Baby where...? is somewhere between installation and street performance. The house changes location every day, mysteriously appearing in the city's financial district one day and on the waterfront the next. Curious visitors are amazed to discover that the house is occupied ship-in-a-bottle style by a man who plays music, cooks or shares a cup of tea with passers-by.



Monday, 12 September 2011

Waving to the flag


On a day that foreign neighbours were checking their backs for phantom terrorists, Quebecois were getting down on their hands and knees in a gesture of empathy and intrigue.


Below is a sketch by Meghan, great image for a postage stamp don't you think? After watching me playing piano without knowing she was there, she offered to show me her sketch-book, a glimpse into an interior world all of it's own and the start of a great conversation. It takes a certain patient observation to be able to transfer what you see to a page, like a meditation. I think it's similar to a kind of transformation where your physical environment disappears for a while.



I tend to use music as a way to lose myself at the moment. I used to record music, I spent hours and hours doing this and it was almost always constructed as something other people would want to listen to. Of course I was never completely happy with the outcome so I didn't play to people at all (other than close friends). Now-days I improvise around a feeling and just let my mind roam around an idea, when I get close to something that sounds well defined like a melody I try to break it or interrupt it, the outcome is almost always messy and rough, but I don't mind people listening. To be honest I still think I play better when nobody is listening at all, but often that's just a perception.




Here are some observations that I found in my letterbox




And an offer to discover Montreal on its own terms.

Blind duet.











I've been offered a few things through my windows but never a place in a family before.


This is Sylvie whose has spent a life of performing and only recently come to selling houses. She says it's the stories that she finds most interesting about the job, why people are leaving a home or why they look for a new one, each has an interesting story that brought them to this place.










And here are some photos sent to me by Michael Fortin from Terrebonne. His wide angle lens makes this pad look more like a luxury suit. It also makes me look about 6 foot 8. So there you go fellas, get yourself a wide angle lens and you will instantly be transformed.



And also - I met a guy called Andre who is an architect doing a number of interesting projects around the place. He came back later in the day with a bunch of photographs he'd printed out for me - many thanks Andre.

Sunday, 11 September 2011

Sunnysamedi

Saturday was 'action beach' down at the old port. It seems anyone who wasn't having a latte up on Mont Royal was down at the old port. Apparently there was a bunch of interesting things going on around the lake, not that I could see much beyond a forest of knees. Got an array of great artwork pouring through the letterbox too - a few of which I've uploaded here.
Here's my favorite photo - what the hell is that thing on my porch? I'm not the only one to wonder.
Thanks for the tip but I must admit to having a pretty good location here right at the moment; close to the water, plenty of restaurants nearby, a public thoroughfare, well kept grass and a lake of my own. What's more, I don't pay any rent. Beat that and I'll happy come over...

Good question, perhaps tightly packaged housing is in fact a perfect solution to birth control, happy to pass on some floor plans to your government. I think the Pope would approve too.

And todays gold medal for durational public interaction goes to Bea! A welcome guest and maker of artwork.

Courierpost Montreal style - apparently it keeps the bears from going through your mail.

Is it just me or are these guys deliberately playing with my right-left brain perception.
More mail I presume...
...nope the crabs got it.
What I really wanted to know if whether this guy (sorry I have forgotten your name already...!) has a new set of glasses for every shirt?


Silver medal for durational performance participation goes to Sunny who was shining his light liberally through my tiny windows for much of the afternoon.




See you Dimanche!!!