Phil Dadson

The New-Zealander Phil Dadson born in 1946, studied fine arts in Auckland (NZ), majoring in sculpture and time-based arts. He had the chance to work in the UK 1968/69 with Cornelius Cardew's foundation group for a Scratch Orchestra.
Back in New Zealand in 1970, he founded a Scratch Orchestra in 1970 and later in 74 the avant-garde ensemble "From Scratch", which would use everything from old lampshades to customised PVC pipes to perform its intricate, rhythmic compositions.

Since that period, he also activates lot of different projects in between collective performance, sound sculpture, experimental instrument building, video installation, teaching methods, and, of course, rythmical compositions.

Phil who received many major awards and commissions including a Fullbright travel award to the USA, and research, exhibition and performance grants, devotes his energy, full time, to his own work.

some pieces
- SOUND TRACKS, and exhibited Tapping the Pulse; video and film works from 1971-2004
- sound-sculpture TENANTENNAE at the Connells Bay Sculpture Park on Waiheke Island
- has co-authored Slap Tubes and other Plosive Instruments- a DIY guide to building a variety of slap tube instruments,
- In 2011, Phil participated in the Kermadec Ocean project, curated by Gregory O'Brien, in support of a Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary. Phil joined a number of artists voyaging on the HMNZS Otago to Raoul Island and onto Tonga Tapu.

 

a few works

"Drumwheel" with two different versions from 1979 & 2018

"Urban devas" with Carol Brown and dancers - 2010

"Wobble Ova Oases" with Chris Connor in Heart' Heart performance series

and many many other works to look, listen at and follow on his Vimeo Channel

and don't miss From Scratch's piece called "Drum/Sing" -1984

An article to read in the next April issue of Wire around Dadson's heritage of the Scratch Orchestra with Cornelius Cardew in England in the late 60's.

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