THE

INDEPENDENT ART SCHOOL
LECTURER PROFILES
Update from Jez (08/11/04): starting this meant contacting a few people & hoping a few would contact me. Since then I’ve performed 3 mini-pieces using my own intuitive methods in response to submitted pieces by other artists. The project has become much more introverted than I thought it would. Too few people willing to allow control to be given up or their ideas to be challenged. This confirmed to me that the state of improvised creativity (in this country at least) is not all good. Too many artists have little self-belief beyond a technical viewpoint or a theoretical approach. Of course this is a view to be challenged – please do.

Responses from Japan have been very exciting and inspiring. Toshi Nakamura, in conjunction with the important label ‘improvised music from Japan’ has allowed some of his work to be used within the project & another Tokyo based
artist, Tamaru has contributed unreleased pieces for inclusion in performances.

The first few months of this project will result in a performance in NewWorkYorkshire’s 'Perambulator' show on Friday 26th November at the performance centre, Leeds uni, Bretton Hall campus, Bretton Hall, Wakefield.The piece will include myself, Gisèle Bone & the work by Toshi & Tamaru. It will consist of music, visual images & paper.

Of all the comments received about ‘intuition’ (amongst the endless, pointless essays on the theory of chance etc. etc.) a simple comment by Toshi says the most:

'I seem to be too much like a musician and/or a sound artist,so I think I cannot do so much other than playing music'

Images copyright Jez Riley and Johnny Bates 2004.

Comments: I'm just me. I make music and have done so since a young age. I improvise and have spent several years developing what I call intuitive composition (or allowing it to develop itself and me !). I consider myself a creative artist / musician (I prefer to not use the term 'sound artist'). My exploration has included elements of 'standard' rock line-up's, free improvisation, durational performance, installation, clear input work (using sound equipment without conventional instruments), drawing, text work and photography.
It's only in the few years or so that I have not worked solo. Recently I have begun a deeply rewarding collaboration with the artist Gisèle Bone, who is also my partner. This is based on respect, interest, pleasure & hope.
My main focus is on my private, home life - it is the most important thing (without it I would not be who I am & therefore could not make the music I do - which is dependant on & greatly improved by emotion).

Jez Riley

Lecturer in Intuitive Composition


Invitation to artists and musicians to take part in an extended composition collaboration.

Profile:

Name: Jez Riley
Age: 39
Contact: jez@independent-art-school.org.uk
IAS post: lecturer in intuitive composition

What do I expect from you :

Just get in touch - you can talk about areas of agreement or disagreement - you can use this as a positive way to explore the subject without getting all serious & joyless about it - you use it to challenge ideas
You can contact me in many ways - it's up to you - tell me about what you do - or what you think about what others do - send me words / pictures / audio - start talking about how to contribute to an intuitive work during this project

I expect only that you have expectations - maybe expectations about having none!

 

INTUITIVE COMPOSITION
What it is, how it is, its roots within and distance from improvisation.

This project will be fluid - it will be intuitive!
I have no formal approach - except my own (which is fluid) - I have performed improvised music for over 26 years but allowing myself a natural rate of development has meant a low profile. This is what started 'intuitive composition' - a sense that certain performances were aiming somewhere else, somewhere that fitted the term 'composition' but not 'composed'. A sense that allowing myself time and by not seeking to be 'on the scene', to play whenever and wherever I could, I was finding something - a way to express - a way to allow the freedom of improvisation but to somehow acknowledge the possible development of form or a variably focused achievement.

This project will involve discussion - the exchange of thoughts, observations, questions & any input those involved see as useful, fun, challenging or relevant.

As an IAS project it will hopefully evolve via:

1) regular audio contributions & intuitive responses to them.
2) Solo, private explorations by those involved of other peoples work & their own
(resulting perhaps in further audio contributions)
3) Regular mini-performances / lectures by myself using material submitted as a basis
for an intuitive piece. It would be very beneficial (& interesting !) for contributors to
also consider doing this & allowing the results to become part of the project.
4) Regular updates on the web page, allowing others to see the state of our collective
explorations.

The end result will be a written work focusing on intuitive composition - setting out it's current history & development whilst also highlighting the essential importance of it's fluid nature. This will be published via the web site, other publications and as part of the limited edition. The limited edition will contain a CD including extracts from contributions & a recording of the final 'ensemble' piece (performed at the final lecture). Each contributor whose audio work is used in the final piece will be given copies of the limited edition to sell or give away.

My hope is that this will carry on beyond the scope & time of this specific IAS project. That through our contacts with each other we can develop an expanding group of artists & musicians to create and perform work. That some of us can meet up & perform together. That 'intuitive' nights / events are held in different places across the UK, Europe & the world.

Recent work:
'two-teburi-koe' (images, music , performance) - 'humbermouth' festival commission 2004
'dliamansctlndpls' - live performance (for 'imetexture2' night) 2004
'small box workshop' - intuitive response event 2004
'imemusicboxes' - private commission 2004
'piano / ice' (for piano & intuitive composition ensemble) - HTBA live art weekend commission + broadcast on artradio, USA 2003
'temperature' - live soundtrack for film by Aurelie Klien 2003/2004
'a bastards tale' - soundtrack for radio play 2004
'tags (tufts of art)' - exhibited works as part of 'Stuft' show 2004
'piece for guitar, zither & microphone' - performance & radio broadcast (resonance fm & artradio, Berlin) 2004
'goodbyes' (live performance & hand made badges) - closing night of Anlaby road school of fine art, Hull 2004
'limitedspace' - limited space performance - Tokyo 2003
'september start' & 'september end' - live performances during 'september' exhibition 2003
'Hull on earth (Jez Riley)' - radio documentary on resonance fm radio 2003
'brzeska quartet' - intuitive composition. Commission for HTBA - 2003
'k-foundation - burning a million' - live soundtrack
'blue book / sun-wed' - live performance & exhibition' - 'humbermouth' commission 2003

Several recent performances (including some mentioned above) in collaboration with Gisèle Bone + numerous performances under the name Sudek, Brzeska, Brzeska than capra, Brzeska + (live soundtrack duet), Misshapen Lodge (group improvisation), Boathouse sessions (group free improvisation), + various duets, trios, quartets etc. including performances with Damo Suzuki, Bob Levene, Rob Gawthrop, Karen Winzer, Helmut Lemke, Chris Gladwin etc. etc.

Guest lecturer - Hull school of art - 2003