: ( : ) [sad/happy]

Sound and image installation. Not much remains of this work, apart from the postcard that is reconstructed here. It was originally shown as an on-screen sound and image installation at Artsadmin and much of the material was re-presented later in the e-say thethingasitis™. I have a strong memory of hearing feedback from an officer at Arts Council London that said 'It's a long way from Tiny Stars' (my 1992 self-funded performance show). In reality, by 1999, I had completely stopped making live work and was on a different trajectory (with quite a different audience). The later VR works were definitely 'shows', i.e. light and image works that had narrative arcs and a durational feeling, a distinct voice (or voices) and archetypal energy. What is significant to me, looking back at the work of : ( : ) [sad/happy], was my attempt to find a container that would hold text, sound files, images, animations...and so, in a sense, it's prescient of material that I would later exhibit as OMETHR (2020), twenty years later. ATTC-Minus 12: Michael Atavar for Psopo Bubble Supported: Arts Council London Installation: Text, programming and audio files by Michael Atavar. Programming by Julian Baker Graphic reconstructions: Richard Scarborough