Back in November of last year we were lucky enough to meet Tony Conrad and to watch him perform in the gallery. It was very cold in November and we were more than a little worried that the man might freeze; I found it very odd to be in the supermarket buying popcorn and olives for the man responsible for naming The Velvet Underground, 'The Velvet Underground'.
Tony Conrad is a delightful man and arrived in a boiler suit and a wind cheater, grinning, worried that I might be too cold and searching for a big white light to halo his performance. We found one and arranged cafe tables and sofas in the gallery to make a performance space akin to a jazz club within a deep freeze.
The performance was beguiling and moving. A crescendo of monotony that i would have liked to continue long after the hour long performance. This was one of those evenings at the Fishmarket that we could not quite believe was happening, but were damn glad about it.
Tony Conrad's influential oeuvre as an avant garde musician and film maker has just been celebrated by Tate Modern in a short season of old and new work. I hope that people went and were lucky enough to spend an hour or two with the man.
Tony Conrad is a delightful man and arrived in a boiler suit and a wind cheater, grinning, worried that I might be too cold and searching for a big white light to halo his performance. We found one and arranged cafe tables and sofas in the gallery to make a performance space akin to a jazz club within a deep freeze.
The performance was beguiling and moving. A crescendo of monotony that i would have liked to continue long after the hour long performance. This was one of those evenings at the Fishmarket that we could not quite believe was happening, but were damn glad about it.
Tony Conrad's influential oeuvre as an avant garde musician and film maker has just been celebrated by Tate Modern in a short season of old and new work. I hope that people went and were lucky enough to spend an hour or two with the man.
"Tony Conrad is a pivotal figure in contemporary culture. His multi-faceted contributions since the 1960s have influenced and redefined music, filmmaking, minimalism, performance, video and conceptual art.
Known for his groundbreaking film 'The Flicker', his involvement in the Theatre of Eternal Music and the evolution of the Velvet Underground, and collaborations with a host of luminaries including Jack Smith, John Cale, Mike Kelley and Henry Flynt, Conrad remains a radical figure who challenges our understanding of art history."
