Mike Murray….

Initially I really liked the idea of creating an open source object, like for example: ‘Open cola’ www.colawp.com .  Before visiting the ‘Tannery’, I thought it would be interesting  to look at ideas around the fetish.  Having read up a bit about Freud’s ideas on the Fetish a few years ago.  I thought I’d start researching it properly and I found this interesting video on youtube : http://youtu.be/t1PCXuBfEB0

I started looking at different objects that have a clear link to Tanneries, so I started studying my wallet with my trusty watercolour set, experimenting with ideas of the fetish.  Then found my very old but in very good nick, large leather suitcase in the loft and started looking at that and I found two cheerleader pom poms in there.   The juxtaposition of those two objects gave me several avenues of ideas, none of which felt right.

Then, I started thinking about the practicalities of installation and realised that a digital projection might be a much more interesting avenue to explore.  Therefore, I’ve started experimenting with 3D animation software ‘Bryce’.   This is an ‘open source software’ which is free to download from the internet.  Every year they offer developed versions, now at Bryce 7.   The internet also offers a host of ready made objects for this program in which you can import and manipulate as you wish.

My title comes from the film ‘Pulp fiction’, Zed’s a character on the film who is a police chief by trade, but in his spare time has his own gimp locked away in the basement of a shop…. you all know the film.

In the last month I was very sad to hear that a well known small record shop had to close its doors on the now almost desolate Bangor High Street (N. Wales).  This is the shop where all us locals would buy our albums and tickets for local gigs.  It was the place for youth/ music culture.  It such a shame how edge of the City retail outlets are killing our smaller Towns and City High streets.  Is Bangor High Street to become a place to visit only at night, whilst intoxicated?

Yesterday was the first day of install at the Tannery, I brought a range of things to experiment with.  One thing I was particular intrigued by was this large yellow strip of double sided sticky plastic or ‘fly paper’.  Jake Whittaker had brought a stack full of old records in which I started to experiment with. Some of tried throwing the records onto the sticky flypaper which had wrapped itself around the beam of the Tannery space, but alas it stick by the act or lobbing the records, they therefore had to be more conservatively ‘placed!’.   The same thing was attempted with Penny Jones coloured card, again ‘placement’ was the only effective cause of action.  In the end the strip was cornered off with Roger Lougher’s hazard tape. 

Prior to all this, it had crossed my mind to use fragments of Mari Owen’s green plastic bucket.  The bucket was completely in perfect working condition before we had a kicking ‘competition?’, to see if we could get it through an old window opening.  Determined to get it through, my ego completely left me and with one final boot, it smashed into pieces.  Sorry Mari – selo tape could be an option?