Word!

Contemporary poet Kenneth Goldsmith arrived from New York, USA and entered The ArtSpace with bristling, wired swagger. His performance here at The ArtSpace that night is now the stuff of legend- a wild, white hot roar of words, words, words, a stumbling string of 'em that became a sparkling blizzard. Fragments, syllables, grunts and hiccups, coughs and gurns, all swirled into our white walls and bounced with flaming nonsensical beauty back onto the concrete floor. The place was packed, and the crowd accepted the poet's gift with suitably amused enthusiasm. Wordsworth this wasn't: rather this was a dislocated offering of a simple question. What the f**k do words do when left stranded of meaning?

It's not as poncy as it sounds. It's a funny response the brain has when confronted with such confidently asserted non meaning: there's a specific synapsis crackle as we absorb the assault. Tell you what: 'ave a look at the man himself holding court in our cool as f**k gallery on youtube. Not much of a recording, but many thanks to Carlotta Goulden of Stretch for capturing it while the rest of us gaped:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=H7K2fB7I9Kw&feature=related

In honour of our favourite New York poet's visit, The ArtSpace held an exhibition called 'Word!' York artists including Dexter, Rob Collins and Ian Parkin all tackled the slippery nature of text, words, language. It was probably the sparkiest show we've ever had, and was pretty unsellable but it was mighty good fun. We've had frustrated York artists coming in before the show and since complaining that we've eschewed our avant garde credentials. They can go slap themsens'. Who decides what's avant garde? The same tedious people who still thrill from Duchamps piss pot from 80 years ago? Spinelss, wishy washy, stunted dissidents don't deserve a bite of the cherry when it comes to art. End of story. 'Word!' was one of the most experimental exhibitions York has ever seen. There will be more, but never at the expense of craftsmanship. So be told.

Download Ian Parkin's crooned essay on KG for free at:

http://ian-parkin-kenneth-goldsmith-essay-mp3-download.kohit.net/_/625525

PRESS RELEASE:

October 22nd - November 1st. 'Word!' Text based and conceptual art from Dexter, Rob Collins and Ian Parkin. Tribute to New York contemporary poet Kenneth Goldsmith, author of nine books and founder of Ubuweb (the world’s largest online archive of sound and visual poetry) will be the poet in residence at Shandy Hall from 20-28 October 2007. Also at Shandy Hall, on Saturday 27th October, the premiere of information as materials’ sucking on words will take place. The film introduces Goldsmith’s art and the emerging movement of Conceptual Poetics. Shot on location in Manhattan earlier this year, sucking on words features interviews with leading critics and poets. There will be one showing and admittance will be strictly by reserved tickets only. Following the screening, sucking on words will be released as a DVD, supported by The Poetry Foundation in America and distributed by Cornerhouse (Manchester). In November sucking on words will have its Scandinavian premiere when it is screened at the Oslo International Festival of Poetry. The film will give British and European audiences a rare insight into the American perspective of how conceptualism has engendered a fertile crossing of the linguistic sophistication of late modernist poetry with the contextual and material sensitivity of the visual arts.

For further information, please see York’s sharpest hip cat Simon Morris simon@informationasmaterial.com

Unmissable – on Monday October 22nd, 7pm, Kenneth Goldsmith will be reading his poetry here at The ArtSpace. Tickets are free – contact us for details.