So I’ve finally in a position to get into building some stuff for the upcoming exhibition in honour of the late great Peter Sauerbier. I did the invite in Photoshop and got nowhere near the amount of info that I thought I needed but, as usual, not having alot to work with ended up being a good thing.
So it’s at the now renamed Pierre Peeters gallery in Parnell, formely Aesthete gallery in the courtyard at 251 Parnell Rd from the 9th of March to the 6th of April with the opening starting at 5.30 on the 9th.
But there we go, while I was doing this I had a call from Pierre and had to do some changes to the above artwork… can you spot the changes?
So thats hopefully all done and out of the way now and I can concentrate on building artworks at last. And yesterday a set of circumstances came together that gave me the absolutely excellent place to retrieve old bits and pieces to go on these found object artworks. The day before yesterday I’d finally fired up my latest valve amp and it went mostly except for the 6AU6 pentode. I had a look in the book and found another valve with similar pinout and ratings that I had on hand, a 6BA6, and tried that and actually got signal but still faint. From that I deduced that my 6AU6’s were a little worn out, though I had other problems, but for the moment I needed another 6AU6.
So theres a guy on trade me that sells valves in Manukau City so I ask him on one of his auctions if he has a 6AU6 and he says maybe and come visit… so I find an auction for a bunch of HV capacitors for 10 bucks buy now and do so and I get his address in Howick. He says hes at work 7 days and drop in anytime. The next day I had money so got in the car to go to Howick which is a good thing because I’ll be a able to pay a visit to the lovely Bogusha at the Uxbridge art gallery who I haven’t seen for a year.
So I arrive at this car audio workshop in the commercial district of Howick, which is still alive and well with small businesses (theres a guy round the corner who is basically a panel beater but does restoration and has an English wheel which I must have a go on at some stage), and the guys not there but the woman says he’ll be back soon and have a look around. In retrospect I think she meant his wall of valve amps, which I didn’t see, but I thought she meant his working area so off I went into the workshop with valves and transformers and broken open valve amps all over the place… heaven!
But without the owner about I’m always tentative in other peoples spaces, it’s just rude to be otherwise, but I was invited so I had a good look about with minimal touching and then this guy comes in and it’s obvious straight away that I’m not supposed to be where I am. I’ve been respectful so I don’t feel in the wrong but this guys definitely off on the wrong foot. So the guy has a job on that he wants to get on with so my order for assorted capacitors is a bit of a chore for him so I say forget it, I’ll deposit the money in your bank account and so can send them to me at your leisure, I’ll gladly let people off the hook they choose to get themselves caught on, but I’ve got a 20 dollar note and what I could do with is an OA2 valve voltage regulator for some SV83’s I’ve got. Has he got one of those? Yes indeed, and they are wonderful because when they do their job they glow purple and you don’t get that with SS. He wants 20 bucks though, which is actually quite steep but what the hell… ask and though shall receive. I pay the man, whos incredibly busy but still has time to then show me his wall of finished amplifiers… which I’m only vaguely interested in. Workshops over retail anyday for me.
Bit of a bad taste there but only because he was busy, and as usual I’m not, but I get in the car with the brand new NOS OA2 and go see Bogusha who is really pleased to see me. I just love women from the east of Europe, and can spend whole days just listening to their accents… I love it! And then when they reciprocate it’s almost heaven. So we talk for a while, being constantly interrupted ’cause shes actually at work, but thats okay ’cause we make some connections and intend to make time in the near future to be together some more.
I’m in a better mood when I leave, not that it was bad at all, and then by a series of turns, after checking out the Howick opshop, I spot this little antique shop right down the back of Howick, and even go past it but reverse dangerously back down the road and go in.
What a brilliant place! After 2 minutes I’m offered work! The old fellow sizes me up old school style and within five minutes we’re out the back for a good long chat all about life and I’ve found yet another old friend!
On leaving I say I won’t have a good look around today but I’ll wait until I have my artworks started then come back and find what’ll be obviously needed… And he’s mentioned quite a few times that his sheds out on the farm are absolutely loaded with piles of the old and precious and we’ve completely established that good stuff is better where it ought to be than the simplistic notion of just having lots of cash in ones pockets…
Don’t you just love being alive….?
Exhibition sorted… Thankyou Pete!!!