ALEX PEARL by GILL HEDLEY
Alex Pearl has a mordant wit and a sense of play that encompasses both the world of theatre and toys, as well as some blacker thoughts. On his first visit to The Foundling he was struck by the way in which children are present throughout the building but predominantly as memories. He was also intrigued by the sentimentality of the Victorian paintings in the Committee Room, the history of musical performances in The Foundling and portraits of the original Governors. In response, he has created a filmed opera about the creation of The Foundling Hospital using Handel’s Foundling Anthem as the basis, performed by a cast of lollipop sticks. He also has a further story to tell:
“This film was structured using Handel’s Foundling Anthem. I also intended to use the anthem in its entirety as a soundtrack. However, I had two interesting quotes for licensing the music. The first was for £1875 because I was foolish enough to think I might like to send it off to a few film festivals after the show. The second, just for exhibiting in galleries, was £1000. This was still more than three times what I was expecting and budgeted for. Also it did not include the master rights from Decca or mechanical rights from MCPS should I wish to produce an edition for sale. I believe that this is a daft amount of money so I decided to make a largely silent film and a donation to the Foundling Museum (£200) instead. I have always had an interest in failure and compromise. This and my own personal difficulty with acts of charity perhaps make for a more appropriate outcome.”
Tiny cameras mounted on wandering toys have also been let loose in The Foundling in pursuit of today’s Trustees with a plan to create a portrait for today. A playful but critical eye has been given full rein. Small interventions have highlighted major elements of The Foundling’s history and a topsy-turvy world has been created. Alex Pearl remembers watching simple magic tricks performed by his father and grandfather with “attachment and wonder”. He also recalls loss of that wonder when he learned how to perform all the tricks himself. Today, he harnesses technology in the service of mischievous and anarchic outcomes, whatever obstacles are in the way. He cuts things down to size. With cameras whizzing about unchecked, adding a 2007 portrait to a long line of traditional forebears, a 21st century child is at liberty in an eighteenth century setting. The artist brings his tricks and tools into the museum with an air of puzzled detachment and a determination that allows him to create his work in spite of every tribulation.
