TOCSIN October 1994
Organized by Matthias Schneider-Hollek, Melissa Marrins and John Roome; this was a collaboration between composition students from the University of Natal (UND) and Fine Art students from Technikon Natal. Schneider-Hollek, from Germany, was a visiting composition lecturer at the UND at that time, and Marrins who knew Schneider-Hollek acted as the liaison between the two institutions. Roome was responsible for organizing the Technikon students. Tonight at 7pm fine art students from Technikon Natal and composition students from Natal University are collaborating in TOCSIN, a multi‑media event. This performance piece will take place at the Howard College Theatre on the campus of Natal University and thereabouts.[1] These students proposed a collaborative ‘happening’ on the campus of the University of Natal, at the Howard College Theater. This was a perfect setting, because the large cylindrical, double-tiered space, with its many side rooms, was not only acoustically ideal, but offered an active site for the participants. I was initially involved, but later opted not to take part. However, on the evening of the event, I brought along the ‘Miracle Filter’ (cassette recorder) and began to actively record the events as they unfolded. In a sense, I too became a performer and a participant in the entire process. In my recording I interviewed many individuals in the large audience, asking them their opinions of the show. Many spoke positively to the fact that Technikon and University students were collaborating together, but other non-art or non-music students, who were studying nearby in the library, negatively expressed a concern over the excessive noise. The evening was conceived as a ‘multiple happening’, with many activities and performances occurring simultaneously throughout the building. In one hallway, four amped performers including Marrins made ‘noise’ by scratching sand-paper against different surfaces while beating on various percussive instruments. In front of them, Barry meticulously and methodically cleaned the floor for the entire evening. As he removed the dust, his cleaning efforts eventually produced a shiny (medical) cross in the centre of the floor. Martyn participated by sleeping on a mattress for the entire show. Mansfield, who was nowhere to be found for most of the evening, had been hidden in a box. He suddenly appeared out of the box, his body painted gold. Allen: Can you describe your input into this event? Continuity /Order Continuity/Order Continuity/Order Continuity/Order Continuity/Order The decisive advantage of being universally available. The decisive advantage of being universally available. One thing after another One thing after another One thing after another One thing after another One thing after another Symmetry Symmetry Symmetry Symmetry Symmetry Dogs love moisture Dogs love moisture Dogs love moisture Dogs love moisture Qualitivity, functionality, relation, proportion, symmetry, correspondence, opposite number, symmetry, proportion, interaction, mutualism, interdependence, interconnection, interplay, alternation, interaction, symmetry, proportion, relation, functionality, qualitivity, symmetry, proportion, correspondence, mutuality, alternation, mutuality, interplay, symmetry, symmetry, mutualism, interdependence, relation, functionality, qualitivity, proportion, interrelation, mutuality, turn and turn about, opposite number, alternation, symmetry, proportion, symmetry, correspondence, qualitivity, functionality, interdependence, symmetry, relation, symmetry, proportion, interconnection, mutualism, functionality, interdependence, symmetry, proportion, correspondence, interplay, interaction, alternation, mutuality, symmetry, proportion, mutualism, relation, proportion, symmetry, interdependence, interrelation, qualitivity, interconnection, functionality, symmetry, correspondence, interplay, alternation, opposite number, turn and turn about, mutuality, interrelation, interplay, symmetry, proportion, relation, functionality, qualitivity, turn and turn about, alternation, interplay, interaction, mutualism, interdependence, interconnection, qualitivity, functionality, relation, proportion, symmetry, correspondence, opposite number, mutuality, interrelation. Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance One thing after another One thing after another One thing after another One thing after another Space becomes a tangible quality Space becomes a tangible quality Continuity/Order Continuity/Order Continuity/Order Continuity/Order Allen: What was the piece’s function in relation to the rest of the stuff going on? Was all the audio principally your work or were there others? Paterson’s work, which was composed with a number of texts, was recorded by Schneider-Hollek. The recording begins with some of Hollek’s electronic works and then proceeds to Paterson’s compositions. Comprised of words sampled from mathematical or philosophical concepts, these compositions are intended to be highly minimal and only slightly suggestive. The voices in the actual recordings are not that of Paterson, but rather other people including some music students and Horsburgh. [1] Paterson, Allen; Interview 7, snail-mail, April 1998. WALKER PATERSON, a visual reconstruction of an audio work for TOCSIN, 1994 [1] Marianne Meijer; Art Beat, The Daily News, Durban, Oct 1994. |
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