Black Swan - Commission 3 Coming Soon!

Melanie · Post by **Melanie** » 01 Jun 2010, 22:52

Miles Thurlow is the third artist to be commissioned for the Imagine Porty Prom project by public arts trust Big Things On The Beach.

The commission will be launched on 31st July 2010 so get that date in your diary and make sure you come and have a look and contribute your thoughts and feedback. It will be an interesting one!

Post by **wangi** » 28 Jul 2010, 00:53

So, 13 puggies in on the beach - the "opening" is 2pm Saturday with artists talk at 3.

But they're down there now blinking away - here's a small sample of 3 from the 13:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lkindness/4836127992/" title="Puggies by Lee Kindness, on Flickr"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/483 ... aeb1da.jpg" width="500" height="411" alt="Puggies"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lkindness/4836122404/" title="Blink blink by Lee Kindness, on Flickr"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4124/483 ... 30e045.jpg" width="500" height="374" alt="Blink blink"></a>

http://www.bigthingsonthebeach.org.uk/
L/

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 29 Jul 2010, 18:37

Fruit Machine Art

Post by **wangi** » 29 Jul 2010, 21:03

That's pretty surreal! Shame it wasn't darker do the lights added to it.

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 29 Jul 2010, 21:08

Not for the first time, I note that other people's pictures and movies are often more interesting than 'the art' they depict. I suppose the artist would wish to take the credit for this 'interaction' but I'm not sure that they deserve it.

My contribution, if I could be bothered, would be to attach a laminated piece of card to each machine that read 'Give Us Our Money Back'.

Post by **wangi** » 30 Jul 2010, 22:05

Ach now Bob - art acting as a catalyst is exactly what it's about.

And if you're to moan about extravagant waste of money in Edinburgh there's much bigger targets. At least this is money being spent here.

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 30 Jul 2010, 23:12

If Johnny's Amusements had left them on the beach, they would have been charged with fly tipping. When does it become 'art'? When it is produced by an 'artist'. But it's a no-win situation, because if people say it's rubbish then BTOTB say that it is intended to be controversial and this is exactly the response they had hoped to provoke.

My conceptual response, 'Give Us Our Money Back' challenges the artist, the art establishment and the Scottish Arts Council. Or am I attacking the gaming industry, which has ruined thousands of families in the name of 'amusement'? Or perhaps it refers to the greed of the capitalist banking industry that has created the current world crisis? You might not like it but at least it's free.

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 31 Jul 2010, 19:34

Wish they'd done them up as Daleks

Post by **wangi** » 01 Aug 2010, 00:43

see the photos at: http://www.flickr.com/groups/bigthingsonthebeach/pool/

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 02 Aug 2010, 19:00

I like this:

The End Of The Rainbow

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 02 Aug 2010, 19:43

So much so, that I've given up on the idea of making my own film because I don't have the time or the technical skills to come anywhere near it. It's pretty much the film I had in my head, other than the soundtrack. I wanted sounds that were made by the machines themselves and the quest for that led me into the mad, mad world of fruit machine emulators and ultimately to an episode of Tim Pickup's 'Audio Adventures in Science, Pseudo-Science and Nonsense' in which he orchestrates a number of classic fruit machines in a version of the jazz masterpiece 'Hobo Ho' by Charles Mingus.

'Hobo Ho' by various fruit machines.

Melanie · Post by **Melanie** » 11 Aug 2010, 17:10

So, Black Swan has inspired others to respond to it and make their own pieces of work. Isn't that fantastic?

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 11 Aug 2010, 18:48

Aaaaaaaaaaargh!

Puerto bella · Post by **Puerto bella** » 11 Aug 2010, 23:18

Interesting view in our street - being put out there by my neighbour saying Black Swan was a waste of money and that it cost £50k.

Dont know about the cost and whether she's correct - what do other folk think? Is it a case of the emperors new clothes or is there value in all public art no matter the cost?

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 14 Aug 2010, 22:40

Puerto bella wrote:Interesting view in our street - being put out there by my neighbour saying Black Swan was a waste of money and that it cost £50k.

Dont know about the cost and whether she's correct - what do other folk think? Is it a case of the emperors new clothes or is there value in all public art no matter the cost?

For £50k (!) I'd ideally like something permanent, but I'm immensely relieved that 'Black Swan' won't be around for much longer!

dan1elb · Post by **dan1elb** » 15 Aug 2010, 17:56

It is great all the stuff that is going on down there, my kids just love it!

Post by **wangi** » 15 Aug 2010, 18:40

Puerto bella wrote:and that it cost £50k. Dont know about the cost and whether she's correct

It's not. All three commissions this year combined are less than that figure - I don't have the figures to hand, but together you're looking at approx £40k.

Puerto bella · Post by **Puerto bella** » 15 Aug 2010, 20:44

Thanks - I'll put here right next time I see her.

Puerto bella · Post by **Puerto bella** » 15 Aug 2010, 20:45

P.S She'll already have told 10 who will have told another 10 etc.......

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 16 Aug 2010, 16:38

Launched on the 31st July and decommissioned by the 16 August. That's quite a short shelf life!

Post by **wangi** » 16 Aug 2010, 19:32

3 weeks; shorter than planned but still...