BEEF. 2010.
featured in Conceptual, CAST Gallery 2010
Synopsis:
BEEF is a tri-valved audio-visual and object-based provocation about fads, ads, beefs and the distributable comeback.
Element one poses the 3 equally important questions – 'so your sound is different, who cares?', 'Brian Stiddle never played a sunn amp before, why did he start?' and 'what could be more powerful than 175W rms?' as monumental placards scaled to domestic architectural proportions and occupying a space of neither painting, nor sculpture, nor door.
Sourced from vintage amplifier advertisements and edited toremove sections of the copy in each ad they attempt to allude to and eludequestions of power, individuality and notoriety. Obsolete and pertinent, dead brands can be revived at any time with the right injection of curren/t/cy.
Element two leaks a cacophonous actual argumentative duologue in audio form between gangsta rap legend 'ice-motherfucking-t' and “wack” pop/hip hop artist Soulja Boy, as they attempt to reconcile and expand upon a beef began after anger-fuelled radio interview commentary was aired.
Element three presents their glorious heads in lo-res ripped video projections as they battle for moral superiority and cultural authenticity far away from their native video-sharing networks, hurt feelings glint in their bedroom/'caked out jack' mansion eyes as they plead, apologise, justify and insult each other in perpetuity. Element three occupies the backstage area alongside the other props, tools, scaffolds and roller trays used to present meaningful reflections in this fine establishment. Francisco Goya's 'Saturno devorando a sus hijos' is clearly the ONLY referential point for this artwork.
It is SRSLY CMPLX 'N' CNCPTU-L.
“I'm livin' large as possible, posse unstoppable, Style topical,vividly optical, Listen, you'll see'em sometimes I'll be'em, Cops, critics and punks, never ever wanna see me in POWER”
- Ice-T, 1987
documentation of exhibition.
Realisation 1 -
Realisation 2
