Biography

Shoot is a collective of media artists based in Australia who push artistic boundaries through conceptual collaborations and experimentations with popular technologies, bringing their art 'to' the audience to encourage a greater interaction with the public. The artists often draw upon the outcomes of degeneration / regeneration of imagery, creating content to cultivate the conceptual aims of the collective.

Shoot formed in 2002 with a view for like-minded artists to develop a conceptual 'collective' to stage innovative art exhibitions and events in unconventional locations. With the belief that art should be taken to the public, rather than placed in environments that may be considered imposing, the artists were able to gain audiences that were not particularly art-driven. Shoot began exhibiting in hotel rooms and front bars, clubs and city street locations - in one instance, stopping traffic.

The group have been involved in many festivals and events, including the Melbourne Fringe Festival, Adelaide Fringe, and Adelaide International Film Festival to name a few. Their work has been projected on city buildings, as part of Adelaide City Council public art initiatives, and has been well received by thieves, having their work Metrospective, part of the Luminosity program, stolen mid-project.

Sounds from Level Four, was presented as part of the 2006 Adelaide Fringe and was nominated for best visual art exhibition at the 2006 Adelaide Fringe Awards. The work was also presented at the Australian Computer Music Conference in July 2006. The collective were also nominated for an Australian Business Arts Foundation Award for their collaborative efforts at the AbaF Awards in September 2006.

Shoot grew out of connections made through studies at the North Adelaide School of Art. Working predominantly with photography, digital imaging / film, and mixed media, their inaugural self-titled exhibition Shoot involved projecting a collaborative film, comprised of imagery created by 14 artists, along with accompanying 'movie style' promotional posters. Commenting on the media and its ability to manipulate public perception, this exhibition set the tone for works to come.

The Room Service exhibition in late 2002 was the graduating exhibition for 12 artists from the North Adelaide School of Arts (now Adelaide Centre for the Arts) who had worked together under Shoot. Taking place in a popular local hotel, this exhibition comprised of individual works by each artist, as well as a collaborative central space, known as Room 12, whereby each artist created an unique interpretation of a hotel room item, exploring the overall exhibition theme of travel and journeys.

In early 2003 Shoot created HeadShot, a film comprising of 8 artists interpretations of the relationship between beauty and the media. Exhibited within the environment of a beauty academy, this work incorporated an opening night street party, with models and dancers, in association with local company Colour Cosmetica.

August and September 2003 saw Shoot's work Synaesthesia exhibited in nightclubs in both Adelaide, for SALA Festival 2003, and Melbourne, as part of the 2003 Melbourne Fringe Festival. In collaboration with local sound artists The New Pollutants, Synaesthesia explored issues of censorship and the senses and involved work by 8 individual artists.

In early 2004, Shoot presented Projector as part of the 2004 Adelaide Fringe. Exhibited at the South Australian Museum, this exhibition explored identity from the perspective of 11 individual artists. Central to this exhibition was an interactive piece in which comments from the general public were incorporated into the art. With an original sound-scape provided by Subwoofer, Projector was sponsored by VAF Research.

Mid to late 2004 saw Shoot receive their first public art commission to create a public projection artwork as part of the Adelaide City Council's Luminosity program. The commissioned work, Metrospective, was projected onto a large scale building on King William Street, in the CBD of Adelaide. The concept and creation of the film was an entirely collaborative process by 5 Shoot artists, and explored advertising and its messages within a metropolitan environment. Within one week of installation, the work and equipment was stolen by theives. Re-installed in late 2004 in a different location, Metrospective continued its screening.

In 2005, Shoot presented Elevate, their second public art commission for the Adelaide City Council as part of the Surface Tension mobile projection program. A collaborative creation by 3 Shoot artists, this work explored the marks made within a city environment, drawing metaphorical comparisons with personal mark-making and journeys. As part of the mobile projection program, this work was presented on two nights in December 2005, in four different locations each night, with a projector and generator travelled around the city and installed at each location for approximately 40 minutes.

The beginning of 2006 saw Shoot present their work Sounds from Level Four, as part of the 2006 Adelaide Fringe, on a 'sound wall' in the South Australian Museum, with sponsorship by local innovative company VAF Research. Created collaboratively by 4 Shoot artists and sound artist Tristan Louth-Robins, Sounds from Level Four explored confinement, and consisted of an abstract, experimental art film, architectural installation and conceptual sound-scape. This work was nominated for best visual art exhibition at the 2006 Adelaide Fringe Awards.

Shoot are:
Core artists - Jen Brazier, Edward James, Ryan Sims, and Danielle Walpole.
Associate artists - Charissa Davies, Angela Facchini, Matthew Lewczak, Melanie Nourse, Pascale Porquier, and Daniel Shepley.