Still from 'Konked Out' by Mëstar, directed by Louise Clifton, 2007.Courtesy of the artists.

City Gallery Rocks Out

Gaining respect for live music performances from The Dead C to the Wellington International Ukelele Orchestra, City Gallery Wellington continues it commitment to New Zealand’s best music with Radio with Pictures.

City Gallery Wellington’s Michael Hirschfeld Gallery presents Radio with Pictures, an exciting selection of recent music videos and album cover designs by artists, designers, directors and musicians with a connection to Wellington.

Radio with Pictures is a veritable mixtape; curator Jessica Reid’s personal selection of favourites, bringing together the work of musicians who practice across a diverse breadth of musical genres. Radio with Pictures explores the potential of these forms as places where ideas can be formulated and experimented with and collaborations played out.

Radio with Pictures’ sixteen music videos exemplify a diverse range of filmic techniques, from the grainy film footage of There Goes Tane (Connan and the Mockasins) to the slick animation of Afternoon on the Moon (Rhian Sheehan) and Leave it all behind (Age Pryor).
The involvement of the musicians themselves varies in approach too; such as their central and celebrated positioning as performers in All in an Afternoon (The Phoenix Foundation) and Special Surprise (Luke Buda) where the musicians play-up their rock star status. Sometimes the most effective videos use very simple ideas which when they are executed well, such as War over Water (Samuel Flynn Scott), become extraordinary.

Campbell Kneale’s aural and visual art practices synchronise in Second Fake Capricorn for which he made both the video and music. Continuing in the vein of Len Lye’s direct film techniques, this 28-minute work builds up layers of entrancing abstract patterning.

The selection of album covers exhibited provides the opportunity to see these works in both their developmental or altered states, as well as their finished forms. Like the music videos shown, there is a veritable compilation of techniques seen in these works, from drawing and photography to computer graphic design. Coinciding with New Zealand Music Month, Radio with Pictures is a joyous celebration of Wellington musical and visual production.

Michael Hirschfeld Gallery is proudly sponsored by DesignWorks Enterprise IG. Thanks also to Resolution Print, Colourcraft; and Publication and Design, Wellington City Council.

Radio With Pictures
28 April to 27 May
Michael Hirschfeld Gallery
City Gallery Wellington

--

City Gallery Wellington (www.citygallery.org.nz) is managed by the Wellington Museums Trust with major funding support from Wellington City Council.

APPENDIX: COMPLETE LIST OF MUSIC VIDEOS

Musician / Video
Age Pryor / Leave it all behind
Bryce Galloway/
Mr Pudding / The Tiniest noise musician
Campbell Kneale / Second Fake Capricorn
Cassette / Don’t let anyone
Charlie Ash / O Baby
Connan and the Mockasins / There goes Tane
Cortina / 2001 way to love me
Disasteradio / Hotline
Ghostplane / Straight +Narrow
Mestar / Konked out
Luke Buda / Special Surprise
Marineville / Let’s build a house
Phoenix Foundation / All in an afternoon
Rhian Sheehan / Afternoon on the moon
S.F.Scott / War over Water
Signer / I was dressed as the Ant, You dressed as a Beehive

ENDS