"Palette" is an experimental
collection of short films by Mark Garvey to accompany songs by Bill
Hooper.
Each
of the short films is in keeping with the style of an individual modern
art movement and uses the subjects, themes, materials and techniques
used by the artists associated with the movement.
"Orson"
was the first video made for "Palette" and was completed primarily to
feature onscreen on a TV in "Bucket".
"Compulsion"
was the second video completed and the majority of the footage was shot
in Dorset without an intended project in mind simply to justify a social
event.
Following
a rough edit of the Dorset footage to the track "Compulsion", Mark decided
to throw paint all over it, and then thought that it looked similar
to Abstract Expressionism and had the idea for the "Palette" collection.
The
song titles "Won't Lovers Revolt Now?", "Never Odd Or Even", "Now Sir,
a War is Won", "Do Geese See God?" and "Bar Crab" are all palindromes
and are all taken from Bill's EP "Palindrones".
"(l)Overture"
is actually a song from the visual concept album "Branches".o
The
video for "Don't Bite" was improvised: Clint's appearance was entirely
due to the fact he happened to turn up for a coffee in the middle of
filming.
If
you examine closely, "Don't Bite" actually features Ludlow and Ian dancing
like robots in green cardboard costumes.
The
music linking "Pigs" and "Orson" is a section of "Canopic Jars": an
abstract collection of noise by Bill.
Mark
and Bill had a lengthy debate about the song title "Orson" due to a
popular band having the same name. Bill's insistence to retain the name
was due to "Orson" being the name of the God character from "Mork and
Mindy".
"Rip
in the Evening" reached final cut with Mark wearing a Wolverine costume
in a house full of drunk friends dressed as super heroes on New Year's
Eve due to the self-imposed deadline of completion by the end of 2006.
Early
edits of "Circus Stomp" featured a campaign to get Bill elected to Prime
Minister. Mark intended to continue with this beyond the video as an
ongoing conceptual work but Bill wasn't happy and so it was removed.
A
short and simple version of the song "Clockwork Horses" originally appeared
on the "Canopic Jars" collection. Mark suggested to Bill that it should
be transformed into a more fully formed song and so Bill re-recorded
it.
"Clockwork Horses" was the only track specifically written for "Palette"
and with the designated art movement in mind.
The
lyrics for "Never Odd or Even" are actually about Mark. This came about
due to Mark's regular drunken insistence that Bill should write a song
about him. If you listen carefully to the lyric "I can't work you out",
Bill is actually singing "I can beat you up".
The
sequence in "Compulsion" in which Mark paints a wall actually took 3
hours. Mark's bedroom has never fully recovered from this.
The
video for "Now Sir, a War is Won" was originally planned as being for
an altogether different band. Following Mark's cancellation of that
project, the backgrounds already prepared and the scalpel cut collage
technique made sense to apply to "Pop Art".
Mark
has never met Kate Hutchison (the girl banging her head on the wall
in "Do Geese See God?"). Ian already had this recording and it was projected
onto a wall.
"Crimson"
is the only video from "Palette" that didn't involve using another person
in any way during the process. It was entirely improvised and completed
in 2 days.
The
track "Crimson" is a re-mix of one of Bill's songs for "Cling-film".
The
DVD of "Palette" features a hidden video based on Conceptual Art.
A
video for "Lily Re-wires the Sun" was half completed in the style of
Postmodernism but eventually dropped with another more suitable idea
in mind.
Tests
for Fauvism, Op Art, Letterism and Kinetic Art were all carried out.
A
video in the style of Gilbert and George was planned but dropped due
to the concern that if videos in the style of artists were to be introduced
to the collection then the project would never finish.
The
"Palette" DVD inlay sleeve was prepared by Tristan Cloke.
A
consideration is to make "Palatable": a second collection (a sequel?)
and pay homage to some of the movements notably missing from "Palette".
Palette
is written, directed, produced, photographed and edited by Mark Garvey.
The
songs (including lyrics) are written, produced, performed and recorded
by Bill Hooper.
Featured
paintings, drawings, sculptures, collages, photographs and animations
by Mark Garvey.
Production
Assistants: Tristan Cloke, Clint Henderson, Paul Ludlow, Ian Tucknott.
Additional
lyrics, vocals and guitars on "Circus Stomp" by Alexander Wilkinson.
Additional
vocals on "Pigs" by Alexander Wilkinson and Paul Woodcock.
Special
props constructed by Emma Sharman of Antix Studio.
"Do
Geese See God?" video co-produced by Ian Tucknott.
Palette
features David English, Mark Garvey, Clint Henderson, Bill Hooper, Paul
Ludlow, Ian Tucknott, Paul Woodcock and Simon Woodcock.
Palette
also features appearances by Thomas Brain, Liz Bruce, Tania Chapman,
Tristan Cloke, Chianna Craigen, Rosalie Game, Emma Garvey, Gid, Kate
Hutchison, Katie Lawrence, Tranq Lobo, Jamie Norman, Ruth Owen, Mia
Peronus, Emma Sharman, Melanie Shevlane, Gareth Tuckey and Trixie Tuckey.
