Solo Soprano - a portrait of Lol
Coxhill by Helen Petts.
2013. Film and 5.1 sound
installation. 30' looped.
Following its successful
launch at the Full of Noises Festival and Tusk Festival, Helen Petts' film tours
to Cafe Oto Project Space/London Jazz Festival and Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra
Festival.
An exploration of the nature of creativity,
artistic integrity, improvisation and ageing - through an intimate portrait of
free improvising soprano saxophonist Lol Coxhill, who died last year.
Specialising in the solo improvisation but also known for his work with Rufus
Thomas, Kevin Ayers, the Damned, and film directors Sally Potter and Derek
Jarman - Lol Coxhill was a leading member of the international free
improvisation scene. He was a much loved personality, a renowned wit, as well as
a great musician. This artist's moving image work features a 30 minute solo from
the 2009 Freedom of the City Festival in London, intercut with archive footage
from a documentary made in 1972 by leading feature film editor Mick Audsley,
Petts' more intimate recordings of other Coxhill solo improvisations, and
footage of his personal archive of music, instruments, toys and ephemera. Final
sound mixed by Dave Hunt.
Helen Petts is a British artist film-maker who for the last 5 years has
concentrated on working within the experimental and free improvised music scene
both, in the UK and in mainland Europe. Her work has been screened in art
galleries, on TV and international music festivals. She also has a hugely
popular Youtube site devoted to
showing this work plus live performances. Recent work includes Throw Them Up
and Let Them Sing exploring sounds and landscapes from the world of Kurt
Schwitters, commissioned by the Hatton Gallery Newcastle and the London 2012
Festival, also shown this year at Tate Britain and the Trøndelag
Centre for Contemporary Art, Norway. For the last 6 years of his life she filmed
Lol Coxhill in many public and private performances. It is this archive of work
that forms the basis of this very intimate, personal
film.
Commissioned by the 2013 Full of Noises Festival,
Cumbria.
Venues -
15/16/17 November. London
Jazz Festival, Cafe Oto Project Space. Installation 12-8pm.
Free entry. Saturday 16 November artist's
talk 5pm - Helen
Petts, Mick
Audsley and musician Steve
Beresford.
28/29/30 November. Continuous screening in cinema. Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra
Festival, Centre
for Contemporary Art, Glasgow.
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AT GONZO
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Dear Jon, I think that it is very kind and thoughtful of you to share the news about this important work about dear old Lol Coxhill. It is even more meaningful in light of the simple fact that this film does not exist as a commodity to be exploited for financial profit. Thank you, Michael King
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