Conjurer, Wizard

by Mike McInnis

War Child is an international charity organization created to provide aid to children around the world whose countries have been devastated by war. In February 1997, War Child coordinated a project called "Milestones", which was essentially a collection of artwork created by musicians, each piece representing a musician influential to their own work. A wide variety of musicians were involved, Bob Geldof, Kate Bush, Bryan Ferry, Yoko Ono, Dave Stewart, Iggy Pop, Sinead O'Connor, and David Bowie. The paintings, sculptures, and other objets d'art were displayed in a London gallery and auctioned to raise money for the charity.

Blur guitarist Graham Coxon contributed an unusual sculpture dedicated to Syd Barrett, who he counts as a major influence. Built of polystyrene, it is a giant yellow bolt of lightning bearing the words "Scream Thy Last Scream", revealing Coxon's knowledge of the unreleased Pink Floyd single found only on bootlegs. The lightning is hung striking a small piece of bridge from a model train set. At eight feet in height, the sculpture must have been quite an impressive sight.

Associated with the sculpture was a poem:

SYD BARRETT......... Conjuror, Wizard (non hippy)

Bigger than the space POP could ever hope to offer.
Jailed within boudaries......districts so silent.
A wall, save for eyes.
SYD, mummified within the realm of POP, in which this elegy is entrapped.

A CALL TO CREATIVITY............ "SCREAM THY LAST SCREAM, MR.........

a) Sonic painter
b) Auto Soundsmith
c) Expressionable Non cynic
d) True Believer
E) Emotional innocent

WHO KNEW THE IMPORTANCE OF TANTRUM...................."

In early 2000, during the hoopla surrounding the release of Is There Anybody Out There?, War Child also sponsored an online auction of Pink Floyd items, the proceeds from which were reportedly used to further War Child's relief efforts.

Mike McInnis is a staff writer for Spare Bricks.

<< back to the table of contents