Rod Moss

Artville Contemporary Artist Of The Day 
Rod Moss 
Title: Moss play with fire 
Medium: graphite and synthetic polymers on paper

By Rod Moss

Eighty fires, many of them deliberately lit, had encircled the town mid 2011. We became accustomed to breathing carbonized air though a few dozen asthmatics sought relief in the hospital. At night, the rim of the eastern MacDonnell’s was alight, a long dazzling cord suspended above the valley.

Rodney and his brothers, together with Harry and Adrian junior, rehearsed for a recording session at CAAMA. They knew the buffel didn’t grow right up to the sheds and most of the trees were fire-resistant. It would come and pass quickly, scarring trees and shrubs without destroying them. While police and firemen attended camp to confront the fires, the band played on undeterred.

The next morning I carted them to the studio. Trevor Coulthard added his vocals to older brother, Rodneys’. Their sibilant harmonies seemed to emanate from one body. Vivian Ryan sat closest to me, gliding up and down the bass guitar. He was all willowy grace and his wide-eyed wonder at Trevor’s plaintive singing accorded with mine. He caught my eye, grinned toothily and dipped his head over his instrument.

Out east the fires continue unchecked. During lunch I drove the Ross River highway to photo the fire. Just past Emily Gap the grass fires licked the verges. Just what I needed. Rodney had suggested I paint a cover for their CD and juxtaposing them with fire would be totally relevant, given that one song refers to fire. His father, recently deceased, had woken his sons at night to watch an encroaching fire. They’d stirred into action and beat it back from their camp. I see Rodney leading the band on through the flames. Perhaps their playing has incendiary implications.

Rodney had programmed the keyboard component to each song. The even spread of instrumental mastery created a fluent understanding between them which dispensed with verbal communications. Rodney occasionally motioned to the others where to enter or exit solos and the various emphases. The resultant mix of balladry, Blues and Rock was cinched.

Back at camp, I set up the band members, Rodney raising his right fist a la Eugene Delacroix’s 1830, Liberty Leading The People, guitar at his side leading his brothers. Adrian junior is on the left. Vivian, Harry, Jack and Trevor thread across to Rodney.
courtesy:aliceonline

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