As an offsite component of the Ulster University MFA Show 2016, I performed a series of 45 minute electronic drum and loop station performances alongside a sculptural installation. These took place in the downstairs hall of Redeemer Central Church, an atmospheric and austere space close to the Art School.
I made black sheet screens for the windows to subdue the light. The space was divided by a large black curtain. Drum sounds were played, looped and layered and relayed through a Marshall amplifier.
The black sculpture was a significant presence in the room, intensified by successive layers of drumming.
I painted this wall piece for our second year MFA interim group show in Catalyst Arts gallery last week. The exhibition ran from the evening of Thursday the seventh of January to Saturday the ninth. The wall was repainted white on Sunday. The piece is composed of the ‘double E’ shape I have been using recently repeated in an interlocking pattern. One side is the colour inversion of the other side.
I performed a sonic art piece on the night, where I played live drums along to pre-recorded simple drum patterns. These had been recorded with a metronome and increased in speed by ten beats per minute with each pattern. Each of the nine sections was exactly one minute long.
I limited drums used in both recording and performance to bass drum, hi-hat and snare drum. This minimal approach was in keeping with the minimal palette used on the wall. I wrote a set of rules that loosely governed what I would play for each section:
8,150 BPM Bass drum/snare (note every whole beat)/hi-hat
9, 160 BPM Bass drum/snare/hi hat.
Here is a video clip of the last 3 sections of the performance. It goes out of time with what is played through the amp towards the end. I like the intense, polyrhythmic feel this creates.
The bass drum in front of the work: I tried documenting the piece in various configurations.
Here are some photographs of the three drawings I created for the end of year exhibition at the Belfast School of Art. I realised I need to include more ones of the room to achieve a sense of scale.
One of the 3 wall drawings I currently have on display in the Orpheus Building, Belfast as part of the MFA show. I am honoured that the image was used in the exhibition flyer.
The show will continue this week at the following times:
Monday 8th June: 9am to 5pm
Tuesday 9th June: 9am to 5pm
Wednesday 10th June: 9am to 5pm
Thursday 11th June: 9am to 5pm
Friday 12th June: 9am to 5pm
Saturday 13th June: 10am to 5pm ( show closes)
John Macormac 