Flow - An Exhibition Workshop

In “flow state” ideas are free to form and develop yet can still be open to outside influences. The performer relaxes and immerses themselves in the process of creating.

Artists Spike Mason and Suzanne Turner consider all the musical possibilities through collaborative improvisation and invite the audience to contribute to the piece with sound and movement. Using string and woodwind instruments the musicians will also respond to other visual artworks in the Flow exhibition.

This participatory work is a journey with the tides, back and forth along and beneath the surface of kanamaluka/ Tamar Estuary. Water from the North and South Esk rivers merge with saltwater driven by the tides.

Grounded by classical harmony and sounds Suzanne’s improvisations focus on using patterns and repetition that expand to lyrical melodies.

Founded on improvisation, Spike will mix low bass notes to represent the flow of currents, and add melodic phrases that will reflect the saline fluidity of the exchange.

As the piece evolves over the one hour performance members of the audience are welcome to add to the soundscape making selections from instruments and other sound sources provided.

Listen first, then go with the flow.

A music educator, performer, collaborator and improviser, Suzanne has been part of the Launceston music community for over 35 years.

As a violin and a clarinet player she has performed with local orchestras and chamber ensembles. She is one of the owners and caretaker of a Garry Greenwood playable leather sculpture (Bass Bowhorn) Chosen from Garry’s studio many years ago this instrument created a pathway from classical music performance to improvised and creative music making. She has collaborated with the Chordwainers and Tasmanian Leather Orchestra at Festivals including Junction Arts and MONA FOMA, and other events. A love of the art form of musical improvisation and a passion for community through the arts led to collaboration with other Launceston musicians to form the Launceston Improvised Music Association (LIMA) in 2020, to facilitate creativity and improvised music making experiences - performances and workshops - in the local community.

In 2022 Suzanne has performed at MONA FOMA Festival: Megan Cope “Untitled (Death Song)”, solo and collaborative works at Free for All Sunday Sessions at Sawtooth ARI,
with Tasmanian Leather Orchestra: BOFA Film Festival dinner at Josef Chromy and Duo con Occhiali Live at the Library, a regular live music program initiated and supported by Friends of the Library Launceston.

Spike Mason spends his time performing at gigs for various bands, composing and recording music, facilitating a weekly Jazz jam, hosting a monthly composers group, directing a weekly community free music jam in an art gallery, and teaching Jazz to students at the local high school and the University of Tasmania. He has played music with many musicians over the past 30 years, in Australia, the USA, the UK, Canada, Ireland, Greece, Singapore, Italy, The Czech Republic, Holland, Turkey, and New Zealand.

He has performed at countless festivals and clubs, from stadium stages to people's kitchens, with both famous and unknown musicians, in front of very large and very small crowds. He has also been a session musician for many diverse artists, helping them make
their music a reality, by recording, composing, arranging, and producing on over 200 albums, including soundtracks for film and television.

At present he is a full time PhD Candidate at UTAS. His research topic is titled "OXIMETRIC - Random points of resolution in multi-pulsed improvised and composed music." and is all about his OXIMETRIC concept - composing and performing multi-pulsed jazz.

This exhibition has been supported by the Regional Arts Fund.