GIOfest VI Artist Talk Solo Soprano: a portrait of Lol Coxhill by Helen Petts

Artist Helen Petts joins Francis McKee, CCA Director, for a talk about her installation, Solo Soprano, screening as part of this year's GIOfest.

Solo Soprano is an intimate portrait of free improvising soprano saxophonist Lol Coxhill, who is a much missed member of the GIO. The film explores the nature of creativity, artistic integrity, improvisation and ageing.

Specialising in the solo improvisation but also known for his work with soul singer Rufus Thomas, progressive rocker Kevin Ayers, The Damned, and film directors Sally Potter and Derek Jarman - Lol Coxhill was a leading member of the international free improvisation scene who died last year. He was a much loved personality as well as a great musician. Originally made for gallery installation, the film features a 30 minute solo from the 2009 Freedom of the City Festival in London, intercut with archive footage from a documentary made in 1972 by leading film editor Mick Audsley, Petts' more intimate recordings of other Coxhill solo improvisations, creatively edited with footage of his personal archive of music, instruments, toys and ephemera.

Helen Petts is a British artist film-maker who for the last five years has concentrated on working within the experimental and free improvised music scene, both in the UK and in mainland Europe. Her films have been screened in galleries, museums and international music festivals. She also has a hugely popular YouTube site devoted to showing short music based films plus live performances. Recent work includes Throw Them Up and Let Them Sing, exploring sounds and landscapes from the world of Kurt Schwitters commissioned by the Hatton Gallery Newcastle and the London 2012 Festival, also shown at Tate Britain earlier this year and Trøndelag Centre for Contemporary Art, Norway.

© Helen Petts 2013. PAL. HD on Blu Ray disc with 5.1 sound. 30' looped.

Originally commissioned by the Full of Noises Festival in Cumbria. 
 Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England