Psychopomp and circumstance – Residuum by Neil Rose at the Viewpoint Gallery, Plymouth

Neil Rose’s Residuum at the Viewpoint Gallery, Plymouth College of Art, from Monday, January 11, is described as an all out flight of fantasy that combines existing parapsychological research, spiritualism, TV Media’s obsession with the ghost hunt, folk lore and sound.

The story has it that while composer and recording artist Neil was conducting experiments using sonic wavelengths to get evidence of what he calls the Psychopomp, Xolotl, Manannán mac Lir, or Angel – the psychopomp trials – he found a residual energy in the equipment.

He concluded that through drawing on massive, potentially incompatible levels of energy, a residue was left in the kit.

Neil also discovered other sites that showed similar readings – similar residuum.

He now believes he has perfected a method of manifesting, or transferring this residuum into, initially, a sound.

You get the feeling there’s something of a psychic, ghosthunting Barnum to Neil –  on one night the sound installation will be  accompanied by a live performance by the artist.

The installation itself is a series of noisemakers that Neil refers to as the “test equipment”, a set of custom made objects designed and manufactured by the artist, that, apparently, play themselves in response to the magnetic energies or the “residuum” of the exhibition space.

Check out Dan Sidey’s review of  Neil Rose’s album Wilbur Whateley / Psychopomps on Arts+Culture

• Neil Rose’s Residuum is at the Viewpoint Gallery, Plymouth Art College from Monday, January 11 to Wednesday, January 20

There’s an open evening with live performance on Wednesday, January 13, from 5pm to 7.30pm