Many of the pictures on the walls depicted webs - drawings, maps, paintings, collages and photographs of our physical web-sites, from the first and second Labyrinth installations and other Metamorphic Ritual Theatre productions.
Sculpture and Installation works pulled the webs off the walls into three-dimensional reality, but due to space and computer access limitations in the cafe, these were minimal. Most of the links between the webs on the screens and the webs on the walls are etheric. Can you see them? Do you have the web-sight?
The artwork in this digital gallery, like the artwork in the original exhibition, is a blend of the cyber and the organic. These were the artists featured in the physical exhibition. Gradually more digital samples of their artwork is being added, in addition to biographical information and links to their work on other sites:
Jethro - a photographer from Sydney who along with his own freelance work (ph. 018 974 854) often helps document Metamorphic Ritual Theatre productions, especially the LABYRINTH installations, performances; Examples of his work can be found in these sections of this site. He also took all the photographs which accompany the performance synopsis below.
Alex Clarke - From Lismore, NSW, some of his digital graphic artworks appear below (click on thumbnail for larger view):
More of his work and a full bio appear on his website VAJRA
Ebon - Melbourne-based, she produces paintings and collage which blend social comment with the pagan and the primal
Orryelle - Australian-based performance and visual artist who collated this site, which features his photographs and drawings, collage, sculpture and cover collage/painting for the Mutation Parlour CD 'Thanateros', and the images below (click on thumbnails for full viewing):
Milo Angel (Melbourne). Her digital collage of Labyrinth and other photographs, 'rorrim eht ni legnA', appears below.
J.W .Glasgow - (Melbourne) 3 hand-drawn plates from the Prologue of his forthcoming Graphic Novel 'Codex: SZhieaom' (click on thumbnails below for full viewing):
Lisa Brandt - (Melbourne) Cybersculpture by the founder of FutuRelic sculpture/robotics group.
Cyber-weaver, silver and circuited, begins weaving wire threads into a web-like matrix across the front of the room. Soundscape is crackling electric static and radio fuzz, with more flowing ambient electronic sounds weaving through.
Narration:
"And yet, the web has always been there. Shhh, listen! Can you hear it? Beneath the crackle and hum, there is a subtler tapestry. Can you see them? The etheric webs which link us all...
The harp becomes the loom of Maya, and weaves 'The Warp of the Wyrd' with violin and voice.
The music follows the thrust and parry of the conflict, electronic noises dominating the mix when the Cyberknight is on the offensive, acoustic sounds (especially piano discordian and percussion) when the Old World Knight is on the offensive.
Old World Knight: "Ye have been a valiant foe, and I would knight thee..."
Old World Knight brings his sword down on Cyberknight's shoulder, decreeing, "I knight thee 'Sir Cut!'"
However, he brings his sword down too hard and slices off Cyberknight's (non-sword) arm, which is actually a mannequin arm covered in circuitry.
Old World Knight: "Oops, I broke the Cir-Cuit!"
Cyberknight then proceeds to sprout a new, organic arm (entwined with vines) from where his cybernetic one was lopped off, rising as he does so.
Old World Knight then pulls back his cloak to reveal a circuitry-armoured cybernetic arm (he has pulled on a gauntlet under the cloak). The two knights then shake hands with their new arms, then also connect their other arms, creating a figure-eight lemniscate infinity circuit; and the electronic crackles and bleeps merge in joyful harmony with the acoustic insruments. Cyber-weaver and Ether-weaver weave together, merging into an Arachne kama-Kali formation. They cocoon the knights with tangled wire and wool threads.
'Dream-Amp' industrial weaving by Ra'en
The 'Websight' flyer at the top of this screen is an example of his digital artwork, as is the opening graphic in Carnival Saturnalia
On the opening night of the exhibition -Saturday 27th Sept 8pm-1am- a performance by Metamorphic Ritual Theatre linked together the webs on the walls and these webs on the screen. Accompanying music was provided by Mutation Parlour, whose manifested lineup for this particular event was:
Cyahn -samples, sequences, mixing
Orryelle -vocals, violin
Natalia -classical harp
Ebon -piano-discordian
Cast for the performance:
Chmise -cyber-weaver
Veronica -ether-weaver
Orryelle -old-world knight
Zain -cyberknight
Slide Projections: George
"Chthonos is here. Ycronos is now. Wires stretch across the sky. Telephones buzz, wires hum. Radios babble, televisions glow. Computers connect us in a global network of telecommunications. Thoughts, ideas, information travel around the world in the blink of an eye, in the crackle of a line. We are all one, united by the elec-trick-all imp-pulse... By the net, by the great web of interweaving storylines. Modern technology has given us a access to all cultures, all races, all places..."
Ether-weaver, in old-world dress, begins to weave with Cyber-weaver. Her threads are invisible, yet defined by the Ether-weaver's careful gestures. Crackles and static fade to reveal underlying melody of harp and double-bass, a gentle intricate weaving. The Cyber-weaver freezes as the electronic noises fade out, the ether-weaver continues with the acoustic instruments...
If you look at different mythologies, different storylines from different ancient cultures around the world, you will find threads which weave through them all; universal currents which flow through the stories of cultures which then had no physical contact with each other...
Yes, the web has always been here. Can you hear it, it's subtle ebb and flow beneath the buzz of the wires? Can you feel it? Can you see it, psychic strands all around us. Do you have web-sight?..."
Old World Knight puts down his violin and wanders over to a computer with a standard keyboard and a large screen. He sits down and hesitantly begins tapping the keys. Crackles creep back into the soundscape as an image of Cyberknight with circuitry-laden armour (slides projected) appears on the screen. This image draws a glowing electrosword. The Old World Knight steps back and draws his (medieval) sword.
Suddenly the Cyberknight bursts through the screen and attacks the Old World Knight. They launch into furious battle. The electrosword sparks and crackles every time it strikes the old sword.
The music crescendoes, electronic and acoustic sounds clashing discordantly as the knights lock swords, becoming electrified. Eventually they drop their swords and the music stops at its peak. Because his weapon is a part of his cybernetic being, Cyberknight malfunctions and drops to his knees.
Old World Knight picks up his sword.
As the music of Mutation Parlour continues after the visual performance of Metamorphic Ritual Theatre, effects are added to the (semi-)acoustic instruments.
A variant of this performance, also incorporating Nygir's chaos clock from Carnivale Saturnalia, was performed at DTE CONFEST New Year 97/98, with a new cast and different musicians. Here is the Cyber-Weaver in this second production.
For more on the merging of art and technology see 'The MUTATION MANIFESTO Part II -THE POST-HUMAN'
The Web-Sight exhibition opening ended with a set of music by experimental techno band
'signal to noise' (Clan Analogue).