Curated by Dani Woolbank for Accidentally Annie Street Space, POW showcased a motley collection of performance-based works that materialized at different times and within different areas of this residential-cum-gallery space. What follows is an unedited conversation, held on MSN Messenger, on Monday 8 June 2009, between members of the Brisbane collaborative group The Crash Crew about their contribution to the exhibition.
Kristine says: (11:07:17 AM) hi, how are you?
rohan says: (11:07:44 AM) hello, ok.
rohan says: (11:07:48 AM) how about you?
Kristine says: (11:08:06 AM) good.
rohan says: (11:08:25 AM) i had two shows this weekend and it was really exhausting
Kristine says: (11:09:01 AM) great! That must be a bit exhausting i´m sure. Was it with your band?.
rohan says: (11:09:21 AM) saturday was with my band and sunday was solo
Kristine says: (11:09:46 AM) nice, was it somewhere in brisbane.
rohan says: (11:10:50 AM) saturday was in mitchelton in an abandoned police safe house. it had been squatted in 5 or 6 months ago and they left all their belongs so we made a fort out of a strangers clothing and played in their room with their bed and tv and stuff
Kristine says: (11:11:50 AM) sounds great, was it called the squat show or something like that?.
rohan says: (11:12:14 AM) yeah, northside squat
Kristine says: (11:12:55 AM) do you think the former squatters knew there was a concert there?.
rohan says: (11:13:59 AM) no. the last news paper was from october last year and it didn’t look like anyone went in. we left the fort up though and we’re going to go back in 3 months and hopefully it’ll still be up
Kristine says: (11:15:11 AM) hehe, would be funny if the squatters came back and found the fort you made.
rohan says: (11:15:52 AM) yeah, I hope they won’t be angry cause it’s all their clothing. but some of it was blood stained and stuff so we washed it, maybe we did them a favour.
David has been added to the conversation.
Kristine says: (11:16:20 AM) do you know why they had left?
Kristine says: (11:16:25 AM) hi david!
David says: (11:16:32 AM) hi!.
rohan says: (11:16:42 AM) hello
David says: (11:16:50 AM) hi.
rohan says: (11:17:15 AM) not sure why, they had all the winning lottery numbers from 2007, maybe they struck lucky?
Kristine says: (11:17:53 AM) hehe
David has left the conversation.
rohan says: (11:20:33 AM) I haven’t done any sculptures this week, but I’ve been thinking about pegs and plates and cups and stuff. maybe adding a sound element to the kinetic sculpture
rohan says: (11:22:22 AM) has david left?
Kristine says: (11:22:47 AM) maybe there´s something wrong with his computer.
David has been added to the conversation.
David says: (11:25:29 AM) had to change computer. at an internet cafe. back now.
rohan says: (11:26:26 AM) that’s ok. I just told kristine, I haven’t done any work on sculptures but was thinking about pegs, plates and glasses. Myabe adding sounds to the sculpture(s)
David says: (11:27:12 AM) by playing the objects?.
rohan says: (11:28:06 AM) having bits (like pegs) that after a while fall on objects (like plates or glasses) on the sculpture and over time putting the pegs back up. so they fall again. thinking of other elements as well
David says: (11:28:42 AM) quiet sounds?.
rohan says: (11:29:17 AM) maybe. it depends how far the pegs fall. no louder than a restraunt
Kristine says: (11:29:32 AM) like everyday sounds?.
rohan says: (11:30:19 AM) could put instruments underneath but I was thinking household objects to stay in theme.
David says: (11:31:35 AM) i did some crappy video experiments… maybe i’ll upload them now
David says: (11:32:30 AM) i did one with an instrument and some household objects
Kristine says: (11:32:30 AM) did some things with my family yesterday aswell
Kristine says: (11:33:06 AM) ok, can you upload them at the cafe?
David says: (11:33:16 AM) yep will start
David says: (11:58:50 AM) just watched your youtube videos…. the guy sleeping at the piano was funny
David says: (12:10:54 PM) sent you a word document on hotmail with pictures in
Kristine says: (12:13:52 PM) ok.
rohan says: (12:16:55 PM) i especially love the last page, bubbles and fan/balancing game next to the sink
David says: (12:17:30 PM) kind of a crappy balancing game….
rohan says: (12:18:11 PM) i really like it, that’s the sort of thing I’ve been thinking of, except the things are meant to fall, it’s just how long they will last
David says: (12:22:09 PM) gravity?
David says: (12:22:40 PM) are you interested in gravity?.
rohan says: (12:23:34 PM) sorry, my brother needed to grab something. yes,
rohan says: (12:24:15 PM) it’s a bit like ross or joel1 or any sound “scultors” but i don’t want to use electronics.
rohan says: (12:24:22 PM) like fans and stuff
David says: (12:24:50 PM) something i really liked about Kristine’s dad falling asleep on the piano, is that it seems to be exploring gravity….
rohan says: (12:25:32 PM) I haven’t seen the video yet. will check it later, when it won’t be disturbed.
David says: (12:26:33 PM) perhaps it would be funny, if we were slumped around the place on top of things… exploring gravity, like kristines dad?
Kristine says: (12:26:35 PM) i think the guitar and the ideas of patting a pillow for a long time
Kristine says: (12:26:48 PM) is nice
David says: (12:27:18 PM) walking around with the guitar?
Kristine says: (12:27:44 PM) the decorated guitar
Kristine says: (12:27:51 PM) but also walking around
Kristine says: (12:28:13 PM) like you are home alone practising.
rohan says: (12:28:20 PM) prepared guitar is big in the music world.
rohan says: (12:28:24 PM) sticking stuff in the strings
Kristine says: (12:29:43 PM) a bit of freejazz in the living room
David says: (12:30:44 PM) e.g. lying on the couch with the guitar on the floor, plucking one string, while watching tv.
rohan says: (12:31:56 PM) my friend used to play through movies when we watched with him. really annoying.
rohan says: (12:32:54 PM) do you want to be playing music for the performance?
David says: (12:33:30 PM) so, what kind of performance would it be? One action repeated for an hour? such as patting a pillow?.
The Crash Crew, Place all your personal belongings on the end of a balancing plank of wood with your share mate, performance detail, 2009 (photo: Erika Scott).
rohan says: (12:33:55 PM) balancing game when something falls put it back on.
rohan says: (12:33:56 PM) ??
Kristine says: (12:34:22 PM) you can balance several domestic objects perhaps
Kristine says: (12:34:34 PM) like the dish between legs
Kristine says: (12:34:45 PM) a bit like 1 min sculptures
Kristine says: (12:35:10 PM) and maybe also have a couch there…?
David says: (12:35:24 PM) couch is a nice prop
David says: (12:35:43 PM) so, the sound would be sometihgn that you didn’t try for, it just happens when objects fall?
Kristine says: (12:35:48 PM) maybe you can have breaks sitting on the couch.
Kristine says: (12:36:16 PM) yeah, maybe when you can´t balance it anymore, just let it fall.
rohan says: (12:36:17 PM) sorry, “he sound would be sometihgn that you didn’t try for, it just happens when objects fall?” yeah.
rohan says: (12:37:24 PM) sorry, instrument/object balancing
Kristine says: (12:38:18 PM) maybe you could both bring things from your homes to annie st, and it would be a bit like the 2 of you are moving in together
rohan says: (12:39:05 PM) cool. that would be funny if the performance starts with us bringing in personal items
David says: (12:39:09 PM) yeah that’s a nice idea, moving in together.
Kristine says: (12:39:45 PM) and you are balancing things to sort things out
David says: (12:40:51 PM) would it be funny to have an actual see-saw. in the middle of the loungeroom? to balance on either side?.
Kristine says: (12:41:03 PM) yep, maybe the performance could start with you guys coming with a removal van.
rohan says: (12:41:13 PM) maybe use a ironing board?.
rohan says: (12:41:17 PM) as the see saw
Kristine says: (12:41:36 PM) carrying the couch in through the door, unpacking cardboard boxes
David says: (12:42:03 PM) moving in might take the full hour…?.
rohan says: (12:42:07 PM) hehehe, should we tell them before hand or surpirse them. maybe they’d try and stop us hehe
Kristine says: (12:42:08 PM) see saw is nice
Kristine says: (12:42:27 PM) can make a simple one out of a plank of wood and a box
David says: (12:42:37 PM) perhaps could roll things down the see saw to each other… to create noise with wood?
David says: (12:42:56 PM) yeah or an iron barrel
David says: (12:44:47 PM) would be fun to make a seesaw
Kristine says: (12:45:03 PM) yep, could be nice i think
Kristine says: (12:45:36 PM) would you then put your objects on either side of it
Kristine says: (12:45:54 PM) one rohan side and one david side?
David says: (12:46:07 PM) yeah, i think we should have sides….
rohan says: (12:46:14 PM) ok
David says: (12:46:43 PM) like when people draw a line down the middle of the house
Kristine says: (12:46:50 PM) and then try to even out the weight?
David says: (12:47:12 PM) perhaps we would sit on it too?
Kristine says: (12:52:17 PM) is the see saw to illustrative?
David says: (12:53:07 PM) i think it’s interesting using a symbol
David says: (12:53:23 PM) like in a lot of group bonding sessions, they try to pick a symbol….
rohan says: (12:53:34 PM) it might be to illustrative…
David says: (12:53:37 PM) that stands for the whole group, or activity
Kristine says: (12:54:24 PM) it is nice to use “common” symbols that everybody knows about sometimes, it´s true.
Kristine says: (12:55:40 PM) but the balancing againts a wall and other objects is also nice, and also has a lot of symbolism in it, but it´s not as straight forward.
rohan says: (12:56:04 PM) i prefer the balance to the wall over the see saw
Kristine says: (12:58:15 PM) maybe if you balanced things to the wall, floor etc., it would be more an interaction between you guys and the objects. You are working/ collaborating more with them
Kristine says: (1:00:40 PM) but if you worked with the see saw it would be more of a clear task of what you are trying to do. It could be more interesting to watch somehow. Or we can try to make the balancing to the wall a more “clear” task
David says: (1:00:59 PM) i agree that we should have a clear task….
rohan says: (1:01:11 PM) maybe we can collaborate on the balancing ktichen one?
Kristine says: (1:01:20 PM) yep, it could look a bit aimless
David says: (1:01:37 PM) i found it difficult to do that with the wall, because i ran out of ideas. and it’s kind of difficult too
David says: (1:02:21 PM) i think a see saw is comedy in itself. Would look so funny in the middle of the loungeroom!
Kristine says: (1:02:22 PM) maybe you can have a set of objects that you are meant to (together) get to all lean against the wall at the same time
Kristine says: (1:03:21 PM) but then it´s almost enough as an object itself.
Kristine says: (1:03:47 PM) I guess it could be standing there, and the people there could use it
David says: (1:03:48 PM) maybe we could just leave it there for people to use?
Kristine says: (1:04:08 PM) hehe
David says: (1:04:23 PM) great minds… 
rohan says: (1:05:29 PM) so you want a narrative arc?
David says: (1:06:11 PM) no, not a narrative…
David says: (1:06:18 PM) maybe opposite of a narrative
rohan says: (1:06:53 PM) something that exists for an hour which can be enjoyed at any point the person starts watching?
David says: (1:07:12 PM) yeah, i guess. something that doesn’t have a start or finish
Kristine says: (1:10:02 PM) yep, i guess you have to be able to walk into it at any time
Kristine says: (1:10:20 PM) the see saw could be nice
David says: (1:11:29 PM) maybe it would depend what we did with the see saw?.
rohan says: (1:12:16 PM) try and make it level?
Kristine says: (1:12:27 PM) maybe try and balance each other out, but with as many objects as possible. Let it stand even in the end
The Crash Crew, Place all your personal belongings on the end of a balancing plank of wood with your share mate, performance detail, 2009 (photo: Erika Scott).
David says: (1:12:48 PM) tht’s a really nice balancing game… trying to make it level…. could be done in a number of ways
Kristine says: (1:13:39 PM) and it´s a work where people can come and go, follow the process during the evening
Kristine says: (1:14:13 PM) maybe sometimes it would fall over, making a loud sound
David says: (1:14:28 PM) maybe the plank is a bit precarious on the axis?
David says: (1:24:52 PM) so would we still have a couch?
Kristine says: (1:25:03 PM) maybe not then
Kristine says: (1:25:17 PM) allthough the couch idea was nice too
David says: (1:25:36 PM) but we would still bring in our possessions?
Kristine says: (1:26:09 PM) i think it would be nice if it was your things
Kristine says: (1:26:46 PM) can you think of any domestic object that could have a similar function as a see saw?.
rohan says: (1:27:04 PM) the old time scales ??
David says: (1:27:26 PM) yeah, butter scales…. back to making a cake!
Kristine says: (1:27:31 PM) a broken table
David says: (1:28:37 PM) like a big prop?
David says: (1:29:18 PM) michael hill used to have a door on top of two trestles as his table
Kristine says: (1:32:16 PM) a long kitchen bench or table
Kristine says: (1:32:47 PM) a piece of a wall (planks of wood nailed togehter)
David says: (1:32:47 PM) what would you put as the middle bit that it swings on?
David says: (1:33:06 PM) we could perhaps raid a demolished house?
Kristine says: (1:33:22 PM) maybe that squat rohan?.
rohan says: (1:34:27 PM) yeah, there’re planks out back. that’s quite nasty being big and heavy and splinters, but we could get a plank pretty easily (probably have one at home)
David says: (1:34:50 PM) has that place been demolished yet, or partly?.
rohan says: (1:35:06 PM) the place next door is going to be demolished.
rohan says: (1:35:29 PM) the squat has no apparent plans/use
David says: (1:35:56 PM) is it in michelton?.
rohan says: (1:36:18 PM) yeah. next to the station. I guess we could find a plank in auchenflower just as easily
David says: (1:51:17 PM) how would you describe the task in 20 words or less?
Kristine says: (1:52:18 PM) Try together with one other person to place all your belongings on an balancing plank of wood.
Kristine says: (1:53:10 PM) something like that…
Kristine says: (1:58:21 PM) what should we call it?
Kristine says: (1:58:25 PM) title
David says: (1:59:17 PM) Try together with one other person to place all your belongings on an balancing plank of wood (?)
Kristine says: (1:59:50 PM) o, nice
Kristine says: (2:00:32 PM) maybe try with your housemate to place….2
David says: (2:01:00 PM) yep
David says: (2:01:38 PM) do you think that it would create sounds that you would like rohan?
rohan says: (2:02:04 PM) not really. been trying to think. might have to try harder but currently no.
David says: (2:06:56 PM) could there be possessions that make noise rohan? such as a radio?
rohan says: (2:07:40 PM) i guess so. i was thinking more subtle like in a house (though they have radio’s on in a house)
Kristine says: (2:11:29 PM) you could try and place objects rhythmically
David says: (2:16:15 PM) maybe as things got precarious they would fall and make a noise.
rohan says: (2:16:28 PM) yeah it’s likely..
Kristine says: (2:18:07 PM) maybe you should just finish when you feel like the work is done
David says: (2:18:38 PM) we don’t have to put all our possessions on?
Kristine says: (2:19:22 PM) no, maybe just when you feel that it is balanced out…allthogh the title suggest that you should put them all on
David says: (2:19:51 PM) hopefully we could walk away and it would stay balanced….
David says: (2:20:34 PM) people might steal our cd’s….
The Crash Crew, Place all your personal belongings on the end of a balancing plank of wood with your share mate, performance detail, 2009 (photo: Erika Scott).
The Crash Crew consists of Rohan Bridge, David Creed and Kristine Dragland. The collaborative group make three-dimensional, video and sound works. The three artists in the group have a common interest in the poetics of everyday objects and symbols. Through a process based working method, they draw their ideas from their daily lives. The group likes to intervene and create atmospheric works that are humorous, absurd and political.
The Crash Crew have previously exhibited at 23 degrees at Woolloongabba Art Gallery, Shared Sounds, a public art project in Bundaberg, Object, Attack!! at Metro Arts Gallery, Everything Must Go at Raw Space Gallery, and many more.
POW was presented as part of the 2009 exhibition program at Accidentally Annie Street Space, Brisbane / June 19
1 Ross Manning and Joel Stern.
2 The title settled on by The Crash Crew was Place all your personal belongings on the end of a balancing plank of wood with your share mate.
