Paul Burwell was infamous for his exuberant fusions of fine-art installation, percussion and explosive performance. An irrepressible raw spirit, he was co-founder of the London Musicians’ Collective and a staunch advocate of, and passionate participant in, all forms of experimental practice; life and art were a synonomous continual laboratory for ideas.

The DVD TAPS is a composite of over 80 contributors including Steve Beresford, Mike Cooper, Viv Corringham, Lol Coxhil, Terry Day, Max Eastley, Susanna Ferrar, Sylvia Hallett, Ashleigh Marsh, Hugh Metcalfe, Phil Minton, Maggie Nicols, Steve Noble, Evan Parker, Helen Petts, Elliott Sharp, Alan Tomlinson, Ansuman Biswas, Kaffe Matthews, Peter Cusack, David Toop and Roger Turner.

"Invited artists fron all manner of performance disciplines contributed films and audio works which were infused with the expanded vision of reality that was Burwell’s project…… It’s an extraordinary work that needs to be seen" TAPS: Improvisations with Paul Burwell - Phil England The Wire Nov. 2010

See all videos on the Matt's Gallery's Vimeo Channel

The event TAPS: Improvisations with Paul Burwell, was realised by Anne Bean, Robin Klassnik and Richard Wilson and was presented by Matt's Gallery at Dilston Grove17th -19th September 2010.

In the second DVD PAST, Paul’s notebooks of over 30 years, are used to create a dialogue with him. The DVD set is published by Matts Gallery and the project resulted from a Live Art Development Agency/Tate Research, Legacy: Thinker in residence award.

PERFORMANCES

The live performances for this launch, all contributed to TAPS and reflect Paul’s wide range of engagement. Included are a duo of Phil Minton and Terry Day in an intoxicating mix for the midsummer night's dram; Sylvia Hallett doing an improvisation using bowed bicycle wheels with lo-fi electronic effect; the garage-noise band London Dirthole Company; Siren Song in which Mark Anderson plays Burwell/Bow Gamelan sirens that he has modified; "Adventures in the House of Dreams" - stroboscopic visual and feraliminal electronic audio from para-musician Chris Gladwin (Team Doyobi, The Wyrding Module). The MC is Richard Strange, writer, actor, and founder of seminal mid-seventies protopunk art rock band Doctors of Madness.

FILMS

The performances will be interspersed with films:

Final night of TAPS with Richard Wilson's screen destruction. 2010 (2mins)
Stephen Cripps; Pyrotechnic Sculptor Acme Gallery, 1981.  William Raban (5 mins)
Self-Portrait. Who Of? Dialogues Paul Burwell and Anne Bean 2010. (excerpt 5mins)
Offshore Rig Bow Gamelan Ensemble 1987 Channel 4 (excerpt 8mins)


launch price for DVD set £7.50