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By: Penny Modra
Date: 3rd Oct 07
Medium: Performance
Drink: Anything, as long as you look good holding it
What:
Billy Apple, Four Activities, 161 West 23rd Street, New York, 20 March 1971
Where:
Neon Parc, 1/53 Bourke St, Melbourne (cnr McIlwraith Pl)
When:
Opens Thurs Oct 4, 6-8pm
Exhibition runs Oct 3-27
How much:
Free
Who is Billy Apple? A short, compulsory art class to follow.
Billy Apple was once Barrie Bates, born in Auckland, moved to London to study graphic design at the Royal College of Art, hanging out with David Hockney and the gang and generally becoming one of the pop generation. Graduated, changed his name to Billy Apple. Was all about the shift from formal to conceptual art but did it before anyone else.
Moved to the Big Apple, opened his own gallery (Apple), which was one of the first alternative, artist-run spaces in New York. Exhibited Andy Warhol's Brillo Boxes in the famous ‘American Supermarket' exhibition. Meanwhile, worked on his own site-related performances and installations.
So, now you know. And it's pretty amazing that he's here in Melbourne for a launch this Thursday night. Neon Parc (in association with Hamish McKay Gallery) are presenting documentation of Apple's Four Activities, originally staged at Apple, 161 West 23rd Street, New York on March 20, 1971.
What were these four activities? This you will discover, but they possibly involved a vacuum cleaner and some bi-carb soda.