Flash, Bang, Wallop date > November 2010 media > acrylic on garage door size > 430 x 870cm

> I set up my paintings as experiments. But unlike scientific experiments they are not reproducible, they can never be repeated, the outcome cannot be determined from the starting conditions.

> For Testbed the starting conditions were Ivan, a high pressure water hose, a mop, a broom, roller extenders, and household paint. The parameters are simple: we will not own either door or start with a predetermined plan. The project can be a failure. If we feel the need to finish the doors we will toss a coin at the end. We stick to none of those plans. We set out not to be precious about our marks but reveal strong preferences and opinions through our painting. Rain turns the first day's effort into a giant drip painting. The painting ends up as a mere backdrop to a carefully planned projection and performance, the vinyl lettering is discussed at length, negotiated: Flash, Bang, Wallop. Slightly dated terms for outbursts of light, sound and movement. But it could have been 'Let's start fresh'. At the core is a desire to question the historicity and contemporary relevance of an expressionistic style of painting.

> The quicktime video below is a documentation of the first phase of the project, the painting phase.

> The second phase of the project was a performance evening with a projection of animations by Zhivko Arsenov and performances by Simon Werner and Mitchell Bridges, in their roles of Roberto and Philippo, glitter artist and art impressario, respectively. The duo had last performed at Frieze Art Fair, when Roberto was adding glitter and glam to the event. For our closing evening, Roberto performed a Shaving Foam Painting: a fresh, expressive, truly original stroke of genius during which everyone enjoyed the similarities between shaving foan and snow in the freezing winter temperatures.

> While the performance had a slapstick and outrageously camp edge to it, the script was partly rehearsed and discussed to reflect the underlying concerns of the project.

> Testbed1 is an experimental contemporary art center in Battersea, an initiative by the architect Will Allsop