#2 Stephen Cripps at The Acme Gallery
50 stories from The Acme Archive
Machines and Performances, which ran from 23 April to 4 May 1978, was Stephen Cripps first solo show at the Acme Gallery. The exhibition of sculptures (machines) was accompanied by a pyrotechnic performance each night at 8pm.
The performances were titled:
24/4 - Exploding Chocolate Cake
25/4 - Burning Xerox Machine
26/4 - Rotating Rubber Shower
28/4 - Exploding Train Set
1/5 - Burning Picture
2/5 – Magnesium Flare
3/5 - Flares into Aquarium
4/5 - Burning Bed
The show had been delayed due to the requirement for Acme to build a fire escape to meet the District Surveyors requirements, and smoke could often be seen billowing from the gallery windows after the performance.
Reviewing one of the performances for Ramp No. 2, 'Magnesium Flare', Ally Raftery wrote: "... the audience, retinas scarred by incandescent flashes, was precipitated into the road by a large mushroom of white smoke which shot to the ceiling and rolled down the walls."