5th January 2007 — 10th February 2007
...Meanwhile
out in Wales...Cassandra Needham gives three artists a floor each to
present their own take on TV, music videos and cult films. Ben Young
enlists the help of his family to make 'The sons of l'Homme Doré',
even persuading his brother to get his kit off. This 14-minute video
tells a nostalgic sci-fi story in the style of MTV videos and bio-yogurt
ads, all voiced by Brian Blessed (an uncle perhaps?). Beautifully edited
and camp as Christmas.
Blandy film shows him wandering bare-foot around
Hampstead Heath and central London looking for enlightenment. True
to form nobody takes any notice. It's all edited together with bits
of 'Star-wars' and Kung-Fu movies. Here in Cardiff people might not
recognise the locations so easily but they can still join in with the
intro to 'Monkey'.
Richard Dedomenici set out to polarise opinion with
'Fame Asylum'. Judging from the cuttings on the pin board he achieved
this aim - with the entire world media at one end and him (and me)
at the other, liking the project. The gallery is showing a 50-minute
Channel 4 programme that follows Dedomenici as he chooses 4 asylum
seekers to be in his boy band 'Status'. We see him try to whip a bunch
of teenage lads into shape, hearing their stories and following their
progress to their ultimate (pedestrian) performance on the South Bank
and the choreographer's accusation that he's playing God. Is he the
bad guy or has he been unfairly portrayed by Channel 4? Perhaps he
should contact Phil Collins.
AL