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The Night Is Coming On, Downtown at Dawn and Rip Off are all tracks on the Richard Hell compilation album, Spurts (2005). You can listen to Downtown at Dawn here. I recommend you turn the volume up to maximum.
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A car has been parked inside the Serpentine Gallery in London, its blue paint mirroring the trees outside. The room is peaceful, with technicians quietly installing works of art by the 83-year-old troublemaker Gustav Metzger; but soon, a curator tells me, they will be taking sledgehammers to the car. Technicians will pound it until it resembles the crushed husk in a news photograph of a street demonstration Metzger once witnessed. He shows me this photograph, two kids standing on the roof of the smashed car. “They were shouting, ‘Kill the car, kill the car!’, until they were exhausted,” he says.
(extract from an interview with Gustav Metzger in The Guardian, 2009)
I love that first one Richard, I really had to look and work out what it was, fantastic.
Thanks so much, Leanne. I’m really glad you like it. It’s an approach i want to explore a bit more.
I hope you do, they are great, very abstract.
I thought it was a car wash at first. My favorite is Rip Off.
Ha! Thanks very much, Cardinal!
Fantastic images.
Thanks very much, Rabirius.
Fascinating – really well done Richard… 🙂
Thanks very much, Drake! I’m really glad you like them 🙂
Love the first and third photo’s. Glad to see you continuing with the paint/print method I’m enjoying the results
Thanks very much, Leon. I’m getting quite into it. Glad you like them.
These are interesting works Richard. I like this direction!
Thanks very much, Philippa! Glad you like them. It’s something I want to explore more. I’d forgotten how nice it is to handle paint.
Nice work on the multi-media pieces.. and I really like the straight b/w image as well, a photo which reminds me of a Robert Frank without the grain.
Thanks so much, John. I’m very chuffed to have produced something reminiscent of Frank – he’s in my personal pantheon!
Stunning work Richard, I get a wonderful sense of gathering momentum and confidence with what you are doing!
(Hope that’s ok to say!)
Thanks so much, Patti! Yes, of course that’s OK to say – I’m really glad to hear it! Thank you!
Great shots, and an interesting take on the straightforward photos! Lovely work, Richard! 😀
Thanks very much, Richard! Much appreciated! 🙂
Really enjoyed this series Richard. Both painterly and cinematic.
Thanks very much, Steven. They’re interesting to put together.
Nice images, seems to be multiple layers to each. I like that in the second shot you also have the reflection of the smoker adjacent to him.
Thanks very much, Stevie. That’s a really interesting observation – I kind of put them together instinctively, but that could be the thing that connects them.
Oooh, Richard! I really like this foray into mixed media.
Have you been having trouble with receiving (i.e. not receiving) email notifications of new posts?
Thanks so much, Ashley!
Yes, the email thing is a bit hit and miss to say the least. I’ve lost connection with loads of people, including Richard Cooper-Knight – no idea why.
I’m really enjoying “painting” again – for the smell of it as much as anything. 🙂
The addition of the paint works so very well in this set. It adds another dimension to the already layer-like reflections. It also brings an immediacy and volatility. Terrific!
Thanks so much, Elena! That’s a lovely compliment. I’m really glad you like them – I’m glad you think they’re immediate. Great.
ciao! i like the heart…good vibes from this series 🙂
thebestdressup
Thanks so much! 🙂 Glad you like them.
Really love your mixed media works. The first is fantastic but love the others, too.
I’m really glad you like them, Ellen – I’m working on some bigger pieces at the moment – it’s interesting to see how it develops as a way of working.
I think you have struck gold!
Thanks so much, Ellen! Strangely prescient, because I’m going to be using gold paint at the weekend.
I find your painting pieces fascinating. Surfaces and separation. Interesting how these separations become more pronounced as you work on the photographs. One has to look closer, like peering through peepholes. Brilliant.
Thanks so much, Karen. I love your observation – pretty much spot on. I’m really just feeling my way – working by instinct as much as I’ll allow myself 🙂
Reblogged this on rebloggobbler.
Thanks very much, Douglas!
You are creating some very interesting images with mixed media. Sort of another branch to the street photography. I like a lot.
Thanks very much, Jennifer. I’m really glad you like them and that you see them in that way – that’s kind of what I want to do I think – extend the idea.
The first shot’s my favourite, it’s gorgeous and imaginative. I like the contrast with the others.
I’m really glad you like it – thanks very much, Cheryl.
Great idea. I like abstract photos anyway, but adding paint is really interesting. I enjoyed the way you have presented them in this post as well.
Thanks very much, Alex. Yes, more to come soon.