Image quartets three and four Angela Robarts-Bird Gallery

Quartet four love songs 

Vinyl wall text, spoken word sound installation with accompanying Braille books
Art of Difference Conference, Angela Robarts-Bird Gallery. The Gasworks Park, Albert Park Melbourne 2006

The work marks the last 20 years of this fools journey in life and the arts. my thanks to Peter Vance for for his voice, his interpretation and recording of the sound. and Jane Trengove for organising the vinyl lettering cutting and setting the work up sensitively as my proxy. Ross Barber

Quartet four love songs
Overture wma 413kbs
A person previously unconscious of the world violently evicted from his body while it heals puts on seven league boots discovers many worlds returns to take vacant possession of the damaged goods.
Undertakes a number of learn to be an artist modules in a sheltered workshop once called an academy now called universities of the real world or creative industries.
Foolishly names himself an artist.
Recreates an Arcadian forest in a fractured mirror lined light box made from ships dunnage and a spyglass names it Odysseys and the Cyclops

Quartet 1 wma 586kbs
Location Europe 1997
Exasperated by his audience smitten with a sublime view of a mythic land called terra australis the artist in residence hereafter called the fool promises to tell just one more story so he can get on with his work.
The story unfolds a point of departure a moment of recognition an intersection for a meeting place is reached Henley on Todd meets Upper Wilts town square.
A deal is struck church bells toll the Duchess as Madonna smiles beatifically on the assembled international company a crew selected a voyage of discovery undertaken.
Leaving a collective ship at anchor in a landlocked country in a wind ruffled unmown field populated by sheep below an ancient castle sheep in folds enfolds ship of fools luxembourgish is a hard language.

Quartet 2 wma 592kbs
Location In regional town split by progress 2003
The fool as community artist is cunningly seduced by a gifted elemental siren.
Confused the fool seeks advice from his pupil pupil suggests the fool writes a love letter to the community.
The fool writes his love letter quote Gifts like ideas in the world market place are simply cold units of exchange written on balance sheets. Contrary to this in the creative world they are transformational messengers their real value lies in the hearts of givers and receivers end quote.
And becomes a community performance artist receives critical acclaim and briefly apprehends the meaning of life in a single documentary image number 100 14 9 03 stolen by an unknown photographer.

Quartet 3 wma 613kbs
Location sugar town central Queensland 2004
The fool as researcher immerses himself in historical records hoping to uncover the history of a community reads of a community picnic for the towns’ children to celebrate the birthday of Queen Victoria reads of a blackbirder chasing personal immortality by building a bridge over an unfathomable chasm reads of a woman lost expired 200 metres from home.
Reads letters of which the writing appears a form of shelter warding off the feelings of hardship and alienation the communication a thin skin a delicate membrane connecting tenuously with a distant 'home' from a then alien place that during the passage of time was soon to become less alien now home.
Learns much more in the hospital outpatients’ unit and the local park of the values of the community.
Learns that smell is a powerful evoker of memory.

Quartet 4 wma 484kbs
Location brisvegas 2005
The fool as manager sets out in an alien landscape armed with idealism and the aspirations of unthought of otherness while she is already dreaming of returning home.
Breaking promises not to be creative he juggles balance sheets and paints glowing economic outcome reports.
Notices that despite his best efforts to the contrary art is being made finds that creativity and alienation against popular opinion are seldom happy bedfellows.
Seeks refuge in Aquinas no comfort there corresponds by email with Spinoza and Husserl embraces his own alienation and recognises his becomingness.

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