What do I have to hand. Embarking on R&D program
I have to hand:
- the initial aims of the project - in an arts council bid - more later. These have developed since the submission of the application. Summarised now as "explore and develop a set of wooden sculptures that have sound, touch feel, visual and symbolic beauty. This means understanding the context and techniques involved and developing and sharing a test idea."
- what I now know about the design and build of acoustic instruments (specifically resonant string instruments) - largely from Bart Hopkins. note : string instruments seems the most fruitful avenue of exploration as I am tryin to drive sounds in a wooden volume - like strings and a bridge do
- some amplification, mic, speaker knowledge and Ableton live
- other knowledge from my practice
- collaborators /mentors : Steve, Jonathan Richards, Eleanor Hooper, Dan Fox, Matchume and Kate, the broader network . As yet unnamed Luthier, saw millers. Jon Thorne the helpful bass player
- what is in the Pif-Paf workshop - timber , tools, sound equipment, space
- a desire to make something that is surprising and rewarding for the unsuspecting audience member, that will take the, out of time and stay with them when they leave.
It's a nice place to be and a good set of "loose parts" to play with. I want to ask you what you mean by "symbolic beauty". It feels like something is going on around aesthetics, and it would be good for you to understand what you mean by this, what it can do, and learn to talk about it in a useful way. just for fun I asked Chat GBT here is its response
ReplyDeleteThe idea of symbolic beauty in the work of Pif-Paf is closely tied to how they transform everyday objects, engineering structures, and public spaces into poetic experiences. Rather than treating beauty as decoration, they create beauty through metaphor, participation, and imaginative re-framing of the world.
Several symbolic themes recur throughout their outdoor performances:
Transformation of ordinary objects: works such as the flying bicycles, giant mechanical structures, and mobile performance machines turn practical engineering into symbols of possibility, freedom, and play. Their work often blurs the boundary between machine and dream.
Nature as metaphor: productions such as the bee-themed performances and environmental installations use natural systems as symbols of community, interdependence, and ecological responsibility. Bees become more than insects; they represent cooperation and collective survival.
Participation as beauty: Pif-Paf frequently removes the traditional separation between performer and audience. The symbolic beauty lies in creating moments where strangers gather, interact, and share experiences in public space. The audience becomes part of the artwork itself.
Human-scale spectacle: Their sculptures and performance structures are visually striking, yet they remain accessible and tactile. Beauty emerges from seeing people interact physically with large moving objects, creating a symbolic relationship between human vulnerability and mechanical power.
In outdoor performance specifically, symbolic beauty operates differently from conventional theatre. The street, park, or public square already has social meaning. When Pif-Paf places a flying machine, a giant sound sculpture, or a bee cart in that space, the familiar environment becomes transformed into a site of wonder. This transformation encourag