Name – Artist profile
July 4th, 2006 by rui
Andrew Nixon from VJs Name flicks through a quick Q & A…
[b]Have you ever been to The Big Chill before? What did you enjoy about
it if yes? [/b]
Nope, have never been – its been the festival we’ve wanted to go to for years but there’s always something else clashing with it.
What are you looking forward to this year?
The whole thing! Really looking forward to seeing Fink doing his new set.
Do you enjoy seeing other VJs at work? Who’s your favourite?
We do a lot of promoting of new talent, and are always trying to catch new works. The piece that Steve Buchanan and Boris Edelstein (from Modul8) did at our event 2020 in March blew us away.
What difference does having a live VJ make to the audience?
It depends on context, and it has to be fitting to the audio. Specific visuals to pieces of work especially add another dimension to the performance as a whole. Live performance is all about the immersion into what is being played, and having the visuals increases the experience for the audience.
If you weren’t a VJ what you be?
I guess concentrating on all the other aspects of our work as visual artists.
What’s the best thing ever?
What, ever? err….Rum?
How do you chill out?
Chill out, whats that? Can’t remember last time it happened!?! Getting away on the bike is always a nice way to clear the head!
Name – Biography
NAME are partners Nikolas Barrera and Andrew Nixon. We have worked together for 3 years and combine commercial design-led work (online and offline) with arts based projects. We work mainly in the visual field, combining DV video, motion graphics, animation, text and stills although we are finding that we are incorporating more audio elements with each project – possibly through a desire to be more self sufficient as artists and performers.
Our main focus with our practice is on ‘live visual’ performance. Although historically born out of clubland and musical performance (as an accompanying element generally) we strive as ‘Name’ to explore and push the boundaries of the medium through technological advancements and obviously the needs of the specific project. We are equally enthused by collaborative projects, playing a more supportive visual role or as the main or sole focus of a project.
We have a strong vision and ethos, which we strive to express through our artistic practice. This could be via commercial design, video, self initiated or commissioned work.
Recent work
Number One
An audio visual collaboration with Polydor signed post-rock outfit ‘Yourcodenameis:milo’ focused on the aftermath of war and conflict, most recently performed at the opening weekend of The Sage Gateshead.
Number Two: Jean
Our most recently completed project was a collaboration with the Young Sinfonia and American composer / conductor Scott Stroman. The piece focuses on a family member’s memory and her close connection with a Cistercian Monastery in Leicestershire. Contemplative footage from the Abbey with particular focus on one monk – Father Rufus, was performed live and accompanied by a specially commissioned live score from Stroman, performed by the Young Sinfonia. A short tour of Scotland took place in August 2005, taking in Aberdeen, St.Andrews and the Edinburgh Fringe. This piece works well as both a live presentation and as a documented DVD.
Number Three: Privy
Premiered at 2020 on March 4th, at Dance City, this bespoke audio visual work has, as it’s central themes loss, exposure, anonymity, secrecy and catharsis. Name have developed it as a work in progress via the Lumen events and it reaches its first stage of fruition at 2020. The performance combines Ableton Live, Pioneer DVJ’s, Kaoss Pad Entrancer and Modul8 software.
CoMusica
A commission where we premiered (in the region) the use of the groundbreaking Pioneer DVJ X1’s (basically DJ style turntables that are high quality DVD players) as part of an audio-visual performance appearing on the same bill as Asian Dub Foundation taking place in Hall One, The Sage Gateshead.
2020
Our main audio visual performance project ‘2020’ returned in March 2006 – again in partnership with ‘AV Fest’. Invited Artists from Australia, Berlin, Switzerland and the UK, alongside young regional talent, presented live audio visual works in the fabulous new Dance City. The first 2020 event featured international artists alongside regionally established and first-time visual performers in November 2003 at The Castle gate venue in Newcastle. A documentation DVD is available on request.
www.2020collective.org
Current work
Vamos
In partnership with University of Newcastle and support from Culture 10, we are curating, organizing and performing at ‘Vamos’ which is 10 explosive days celebrating the best in Latin and Lusophone cultures in NewcastleGateshead. Our biggest project to date, Vamos will consist of Dance, Food, Music, Film, Art, Literature and Sport, as well as a large academic conference, at venues all through the City.
Northern Stage
We are developing an audio visual project with Northern Stage that documents the transformation of their previous Newcastle Playhouse site alongside the continued programme of activities by the NS ensemble. This work will be an ongoing piece comprising DV video, transcripted text and sound and presented in episodic form throughout the year and specifically as part of Architecture Week and the Lumen events. The end presentation at the opening of the new venue will be a live audio visual performance, taking the ethos of stage performance but with a new feel and with new methods.
Culture10
A complimentary project is taking place with Culture 10, in which we are documenting all the cultural events taking place throughout the region in 2005/2006 with a view of creating both a promotional DVD document promoting the activities, but also a more expansive live showcase at a high profile event in the spring of 2006.
We also undertake educational work and have a strong working relationship with the Tyneside Cinema, working with schools in media, language and theatre projects.
Lumen
We organize, promote and programme the audio visual showcase events ‘Lumen’ at Popolo Bar, Newcastle. These help to nurture and strengthen the audio visual scene in the region and allow us constant feedback from a developing audience. These events have so far been attended by upwards of 2300 people (over 15 events) and involved 60 artists (with 24 first time Vjs). There is a growing waiting list for performing at LUMEN, which only exists thanks to corporate sponsorship and also continued support from Korg UK and Rizla.
The latest series started in June 2005 with nine events scheduled over 2005/06. We also plan a graduate special with students from Media Productions, Multimedia and Contemporary Photography Practice BA (Hons) Degree courses at Northumbria University gaining the opportunity for first time live visual performance with their work (this is an expansion on successful introductory sessions held recently).
www.lumen-events.co.uk
Future Work
Many projects are in the pipeline, as well as what has been mentioned above. The summer period will see a tour of 2020, moving into Europe with dates planned in Berlin, Seville, Barcelona, Gothenburg and Geneva. We have also been developing opportunities to perform Number 3: Privy (as well as some other works) at many of the UK festivals during the season.
