Paul was an artist whose radical, passionate and collective practice since the 60's, sparked multifarious, challenging works and, as one of the pioneers of free improvisation, fused music, film, dance, poetry and performance art, choosing to collaborate with musicians and artists alike throughout his prolific practice.
This project, an exploration of what legacy is in a practice based on innovation and improvisation, and particularly in Paul's wide range of connections and concerns

Each contributor was given the text of his poem Adventures in the House of Memory, to use in whatever way they wished, to make a short film or audio work, as a new collaboration for, about or with Paul. Fragments of these now make a collective totem, with this text as an underlying armature. All are available, in their full duration, on Vimeo at www.vimeo.com/user4308724

"The poem Adventures in the House of Memory initially arose from improvisations by Paul and myself in preparation for William Burroughs's Final Academy at Ritzy, 1982. I improvised words and, unusually for us, Paul wrote them down and shaped the text. Originally, the words were written on huge pieces of flash paper which we burnt as they were sung. This poem was the last work Paul recorded, with myself and Chris Gladwin, two months before he died in 2007."
Anne Bean

The video below is of the last night of TAPS featuring Richard Wilson's self-destructing screen, Butoh dancer Ryuzu Fukuhara and musician Ansuman Biswas responding and ending with Anne Bean's lighting work.

Anne Bean also worked with the artist/drummer Paul Burwell and the sculptor Richard Wilson as The Bow Gamelan Ensemble, which was formed in 1983 to ‘explore new and very physical urban sound invocations’.

Further information about TAPS can be found by downloading the PDF of the DVD booklet. The DVD was launched at Cafe OTO and can be purchased from Unbound.

www.mattsgallery.org/artists/burwell/exhibition-1.php

TAPS is a Matt’s Gallery project at Dilston Grove supported by a Legacy: Thinker in Residence Award to Anne Bean. Legacy is a collaboration between the Live Art Development Agency and Tate Research, financially assisted by Arts Council England and the Live Art Development Agency. Further information www.thisisliveart.co.uk