“The Song for Itself”

“The Song for Itself” DataMatrix NP001/22 is a non-musical song that is also a QR code leading to itself.

The QR code was written on the stave using the Note Painting coding method and then painted on a 60 x 60 cm canvas with acrylic paint. The notation included the use of black and white.

The QR code image brought you here to see the analogue Note Painting code written on the stave and encoding.

Below you can see the original sketch of the code and download the PDF with the explanation and idea.

Wonderful & Liked

W&L was a visual-musical, anti-artistic collective active between the years 1990 – 1994, comprised of Hassan, Cyrul Duhe, Lietzau and various guests.

It did not have a precise agenda like other groups, but a few common traits can be identified:

  • Complete opposition to art and its canon, equally as against art institutions as amateur artists and contemporaries
  • Mocking the avant-garde genre as a means for artists to cover their lack of ideas and mediocrity
  • Mocking artistic education where ‘the chosen ones’ ‘educate’ ‘the clueless’
  • Mocking small-town culture and old fashioned consumption of art
  • Mocking the new wave of ‘anti-art’, which includes the collective mocking its own ways.
  • Unveiling buffoonery in art, practised under the guise of intellect.
  • Lack of ‘greater artistic mission’ or will to sell people on their ideas
  • Lack of contact with media and the critics as part of the agenda
  • Absolute belief in own superior genius and brilliance
  • Free will of expression and illogicality, as well as the means to justify any and all of their actions
  • Playing ‘artist’ as someone ‘special’ in society
  • Being non-artists
  • Creation and destruction as means of self-expression
  • Emphasizing their individuality inside the group: a member of the collective adhered to no internal rules or pressure
  • Resilience against fashion and artistic trends
  • Opposition to technological progress and professionalism in various areas of life
  • Opposition to universal commercialisation, including that of the avant-garde genre
  • Opposition to political systems which exploit and destroy one’s individuality as it must be surrendered to the system
  • The collective was involved in:
  • Creation of music and sound, as well as concerts in venues and outdoors
  • Events and performances with presentation of painting (in liberal use of the word), collections of sounds, artistic installations, assemblage
  • Creation of objects, annexation of material space for their own purposes, then destroying all of that as well
  • Undefined activity in and out of art galleries
  • Campaigns and performances in public places without official approval
  • Inviting others to collaborate and operate together

In 1994 the collective fell apart, destroying (nearly) all of their legacy in the process: paintings, artefacts, photos, audio & video tapes and the documentation of own actions all fell victims of burning in a fire after being deemed mistakes in history.

This page contains the materials which miraculously survived – only because they happened to be in someone else’s possession.

Open Studio Weekend 5th-6th October 2019

I will be opening my studio again this year as part of Art on the Hill: The Windmill Hill and Victoria Park Arts Trail.
You are invited to come along and see my original paintings all in one place. Watch how new artwork is being created and browse through limited edition prints and greeting cards.
There will be tea, coffee and home made cakes to keep you going as there will be plenty more to see and do in the area. So grab a map and plan your day out. See you there!

Saturday 5th Oct & Sunday 6th Oct
11am – 6pm
Everyone welcome

Visit my FaceBook page for updates.