INVITATION & PROSPECTUS

The Holloway Press in association with Rattle Music invites you to a unique event:  the double launch of a new Holloway publication, the green bicycle, and of Campursari, a new Jonathan Besser CD from Rattle Music. Live music will be performed by Miranda Adams and her gamelan orchestra. Max Gimblett and Jonathan Besser will be present (Chris Price is in France).

the green bicycle

Poems by Chris Price, Drawings by Max Gimblett, Music by Jonathan Besser  

In this  three-way cross-media collaboration, Jonathan Besser’s music – a fusion of East and West with the Indonesian gamelan prominent – appears as facsimiles of his  hand-written scores; a  CD of the music also includes Chris Price reading the poems.  Max Gimblett listened to this music continuously as he made the brilliantly colourful double-page ink drawings (each 255 x 650mm) three of which are included in each copy (example above). Chris Price’s title poem (plus smaller pieces) – written in Menton , France, in response to the drawings and music –  a vivid and lively excursion in magic realism over 200 lines long,  perfectly complementing the music and drawings. The landscape format book (260 x 380mm) is designed and printed by Tara McLeod in Helvetica sans serif types on 290 gsm Tiepolo paper.  Cover and sleeve by Design Bind. The edition is 40 signed and numbered copies. Pre-publication price (for orders before 10 September) is $NZ4000 (20% discount). From 11 September the price is $5000. Order also at www.hollowaypress.auckland.ac.nz.

Campursari: Music by Jonathan Besser (Rattle Music)

Campursari is an Indonesian term for music that combines gamelan with western instruments. The instruments used are slentem, bonang, kenong, rehab, gender,  gongs, electric guitar, pedal steel guitar, bass guitar, soprano saxophone, violin, viola, accordion, drums, flutes, voice, and (most crucially) vibraphone, an instrument that links the two instrumental systems. The CD comes with an extensive, 20-page, booklet which incorporates Chris Price’s shorter poems and images from Max Gimblett’s ink drawings.

Date: Sunday 4 September at 2pm. Venue: Gow Langsford Gallery, Kitchener Street (corner Kitchener and Wellesley Sts.)   

Three illustrations below by Max Gimblett, while lower illustration shows part of Jonathan Besser's score.