Martini Shot: New Artists Show 2007

Tim van Dammen
Nova Paul
Clinton Watkins

Curated by Brian Butler & Ariane Craig-Smith

The annual Artspace new artists’ exhibition highlights contemporary art practice in New Zealand, which is new and vital. Moving away from the concept of selecting the future, the Artspace exhibition aims to reflect a glimpse of the momentum in contemporary art in New Zealand. In this year three emerging artists working with moving image were given the opportunity to present their new work in a public art space.

Re-establishing the different languages and structures in film and video, the works in Martini Shot gave the experience back to the viewer. The three works individually draw on the concepts of film or video, their structures and narratives, and let the viewer access them in an unframed environment.

Tim van Dammen graduated with an MFA from Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland, in 2007. He is interested in producing a static narrative using time-based mediums. He produced new video work whislt in preproduction on his third feature film. In 2006 Tim wrote and directed New Zealand's first Dogme certified feature film Despair. His second feature film Anguish was released in mid 2007.

Nova Paul is a film-maker and senior lecturer at the School of Art and Design, Auckland University of Technology. Her films and video installations deal with the production of space and its representation on the screen. Her film Pink and White Terraces, a 16mm film that uses the early cinematic technique of three colour separation (technicolour) to explore spaces of reflection in her local cityscape, has been exhibited in Telecom 2006 New Zealand International Film Festival, Telecom Prospect 2007: New Art New Zealand, City Gallery Wellington and screened at The Physics Room, Christchurch.

Clinton Watkins holds a Masters of Fine Art (First Class Honours) from Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland as well as a DocFA. He practices as an international recording artist in the arena of minimalist music and sound scores/design for film and documentary. Working with live sound performance and installations, his film-based projects are completed by the soundtrack. His installations include: Cont Ship #1, video/sound installation, 5 4 3 2 1: Auckland Artist Projects, Auckland Art Gallery, 2006, Things I found in my friends father’s basement, sound installation & recording, rm103 Gallery, Auckland, 2005.

In keeping with the exhibition, Auckland based emerging graphic designer Fuyuko Akiyoshi and new writers Pansy Duncan, Layla Rudneva-Mackay, Dane Mitchell contributed to an online catalogue. The invitation poster was designed by graphic designer Luke Wood.

Martini Shot is a Hollywood term that describes the final take of a scene. According to Dave Knox, author of "Strike the Baby and Kill the Blond" the Martini Shot was so named because "the next shot is out of a glass", referring to a post-wrap drink. (Source: Wikipedia.org)

With warm thanks to Sony.