Weeks 7 ate 9 are included together on this page.
Week 7
Janet Cardiff’s The Forty Part Motet
- For Cardiff they were drawn the the piece because of the complexity of it., which was the some of 40 different harmonies singing in unison.
- The sound is perceived as taking up space, having a presence. In this installation, sound is made in three Dimensions. “It’s like walking into a piece of music.” She elaborates.
- Sound as sculpture?
- There is a performance aspect to it too. The intermission is included into the mix of sound. It breaks up the harmonies with causal conversation and uneven silence. In other words, it is a release of performance into another, the cultural.
- The installation is a simple presentation. It is a simple room with a ring of speakers who are all focused inward.
- At first, I did not know what to expect. The simplicity tricked me.
- I came across the other sound sculpture by Cardiff:
Christian Marclay’s Guitar Drag
- A guitar is tied with a rope by the neck. It is dragging by a track along a dirt road. it swerves, alternating both sides of the road. It is an electric, It’s amplification is present too, connected by a cable.
- There is also a comment in the video that elaborates on the conceptual nature of this piece. The comment explains that this is a homage to James Byrid Jr. a Black man who was dragged to death behind a truck in Texas in 1998. Fact
- Fact check:
- Guitar neck = Human neck.
- I had initially thought it was a funny video. A cool way to make a sound -drone-y stuff.
Anna Ripmeester’s Pipes in “C”
- The artist had a noisy pipe in their apartment, and coincidentally they had also noticed that it was in the key of C.
- Ripmeester uses a guitar to add to the sound of the pipe. They semi-rhythmically strum, hitting only a few notes. I wonder if this a specific scale in the key of C?
- This piece is interesting because of that element of coincidence and banal. I like that people can discover everyday materials and transform them into something else. It is fascinating to see people coordinate and explore sounds too, embellishing them with other sounds.
The User’s The Dot-matrix symphony.
- The scores are played by an old printer, which i found to be really nostalgic, familiar.
- I have used a different scanners in the past, and they make a variety of sounds. To some, the the process of the scanner is relaxing. in my experience, it is a moment of incubation. When you scan it brings everything to a halt, it becomes a waiting game. and the duration is dependent on what is being scanner.
- is the artist usually different materials to scan to change up the sound?
- What is the artist scanning? what is there relation to the this device? is it an office or some other thing?
PROPOSAL:
Post a PROPOSAL for a work of conceptual audio art. Include notes, research and references for your proposal. Approx: 1min
A video group chat that takes place in the living room with everyone present. The sound generated should be the echo from all the devices and conversations.
- Phone feedback loop.
- I liked how in Cardiff’s pieces that sound also fills in space. I wonder if we have a open
- The idea is to record a group conversation in video chat while everyone is in the room.
- I stumped on this from working on the Change your Face assignment while taking a portrait.
- no tv. I would prefer
Week 8
Notes:
week 9
Final:
Decided to use Mario Kart as a method of controlling the conversation. My roommates are very vocal during this sort of thing. The activity also included everyone having their phones on the coffee table with a instagram video chat open. I had hoped to have feed back from everyone’s phones and more distortion.
Two others:
Justin:
W1:
Excellent notes on Sol Lewitt, Yoko Ono, Nauman complete and very good evidence of curiosity and engagement with material.
Kilometre image and description – seems related to conceptual practice, I like how you showed all your thinking, and each component could be an expression of a KM. I like how you measured the kilometre precisely and how you documented it in multiple forms. Which do you find most interesting though?
W2: Image of Abramovic/Stillness gesture, and description complete and a great simple idea! I appreciate you made yourself uncomfortable/challenged and even embarrassed – to create interest and meaning in the work– this is hilarious to be under the low coffee table! I’d love to see this as a video, with all the ambient sound of a normal household going on, and you doing this absurd gesture. Wish there was a bit more reference to Abramovic specifically– and a sense you were engaged with that material/ideas.
W3: 6 conceptual sentences are complete and get the idea – to write the simple formula for actions in each piece, as opposed to broader themes. Defenestration image and description are good, wish it had more clarity (when it does the images are better) and more “air” or sky… but I think there should be more reason to throw the keyboard than just because it was around… maybe something frustrated, or about language even… could throwing a keyboard up in the air be a kind of performed poem? Ha! More possibilities to explore/express here, and there should always be a good reason for every choice.
W4: Good notes on Adad’s work to get his formula, and I like your Distancing video,you’re your partner’s performance of stillness. I think it’s good she had a bag, and was really doing something in a real moment, caught in this portrait. Consider having more lighting in front of your subject next time, instead of in the background.
Good effort on these pieces, do go through and think about all the lecture materials and references as thoroughly as you can, there are a lot of good ideas there and make sure everything is intentional. Good work, it’s fun having you in the class!
If you would like to talk with me about your work in progress, readings, exercises, one-on-one comments on your work, and grades – send me an email in the morning to book a 15 minute appointment during my office hours: Thursdays 1:30-3
And you can show up to a zoom meeting with Nathan anytime during these hours to ask your questions, and get tech support for using software and finishing your projects:
Mondays and Thursdays 1-4pm