- Arts Council National Lottery Project Grant Application -
Supporting Document
www.maryomalley.co.uk - mary.omalley@network.rca.ac.uk - 07459826281
燒烤設置 (Barbecue Setting)
2019
Inspired by Chinese Export Porcelain, 燒烤設置 (Barbecue setting) is a spotlight on China’s shift into a global leadership position. This work discusses the tables that are currently turning. For centuries, China has produced for the Western market but is now becoming an economic behemoth and a leader in the global consumer market. 燒烤設置 highlights cultural identities being appropriated and lost in translation. By packaging low brow American culture (in this case the iconic backyard barbecue) in the aesthetic of the illustrious and ubiquitous blue and white porcelain (a product which was a foundation to the beginning of global economic exchange), an absurd product is created. The objects in the installation all have Chinese characters on them which represent naff American sayings related to BBQ such as "I don't get drunk I get awesome", "My Grill, My Rules", and "You don't make friends with salad". These sayings were put through google translate so they are poorly translated to say things more along the lines of "I am not drunk, I am great", etc. The oven mitt for instance should say "If you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen", but instead says something along the lines of "If you absorb heat, leave".
燒烤設置 is being included in an exhibition with the British Ceramics Biennial (BCB) this autumn at the historic Spode factory. I am interested in further evolving this work with a satirical marketing campaign. I would like to initiate this by animating my installation at the BCB with a live taping event. Spode produced porcelain, including blue and white porcelain for over 22 years in stoke, but closed its factory and moved production to China and Indonesia in 2008. This narrative parallels the work in discussing shifts in production and cultural appropriation.
The infomercial I would like to shoot will be in the style of a contemporary infomercial, but slightly abstracted. The actress involved, Melissa, speaks mandarin and the dialogue she will use to sell 燒烤設置 will be poorly translated Chinese. The content generated from this event will then be used as satirical marketing material in online promotion of 燒烤設置 throughout the 2019 Christmas season. BCB attendees during the taping will become a live audience and will be invited to participate by writing reviews of the product. The online material will be promoted via social media platforms and will play on my website’s homepage 24/7 throughout the 2019 Christmas Season.
Placing 燒烤設置 in the context of contemporary real-time marketing strategies will echo the timeliness of this conversation and create potential to engage with a broader audience.
Project renderings:
Rendering of proposed Infomercial taping in the Spode factory
Infomercial Storyboard Mock-Up
inspiration:
collaborators:
collaborators:
Director of Photography: Adeyemi Michael
Adeyemi is a Nigerian born, London raised multi award winning Filmmaker/Artist.
His latest Fantasy Documentary ‘Entitled’ for Channel 4’s Random Acts screened at BFI London Film Festival (2018) and London Short Film Fest and won Best Short Film at the Screen Nation Awards (2019). Adeyemi was a recent artist in residence at Angels & Muse the studio of artist Victor Ehikhamenor he has also been named as one of the first Impact Fellows of the Conduit.
He is a Hot Doc's Blue Ice Group fellow and Durban Film Mart alumni (2018) in support of his feature length documentary, At Dawn, currently in production. He recently directed BBC1’s Murder On the Streets (2018).
Melissa is a multifaceted New York City based actor, singer, and dancer. She has 12+ years experience in live theater as a performer, choreographer, and voice over artist.
She's been in the principal cast of multiple national and international Broadway productions including Beaty and the Beast and Legally Blonde.
Melissa is multilingual and has done commercial voice over work for McDonals, Samsung, Johnson and Johnson, and many more.
"Melissa Jones also deserves a mention for the liveliest Babette I have ever seen."
Harmony Wheeler
BroadwayWorld Fresno
"Melissa Jones gives the French feather duster Babette the right flavor of sauciness."
Tim Dunleavy
Dc Metro Theatre Arts
Click here for examples
of Melissa's voiceover work
and acting reel.
Luke Thorpe received an MFA from Hunter College in painting, and is known for his work on Hoyt (2015), My Name Is Pedro (2017) and In the Studios: 6 MFA Students at Hunter College in New York (2007). He most recently edited promotional videos for the hit series Queer Eye.