Boxes (with the sound of their own whatever)
I’m starting to think that performing a work (art or music) is the best way to experience it, partially and willingly subverting my sovereignty in order to carry out a pre-ordained action, and letting that action take me over. Whether I am the composer or not seems to be irrelevant at this point.
I’ve been
inspired by Cornelius Cardew whose ethos and works have made been examples to
me, but I’ve approached him with a lack of respect, with my works falling
uncomfortably between parody and homage.
And like
anyone musically minded I’m also haunted and taunted by Cage who’s imperative
to LISTEN and Buddhist acceptance of what IS seem to promote a charged apathy
which is at odds with Cardew’s political actions. Cage also leaves little room
for the performer either, enslaving them to random processes.
When I
started to look for objects to work with, I had something much more sculptural
in mind for my piece. But on finding multiple TV cabinets with castors I
realised what I should do. I realised that these casualties of the rise of the
flat screen TV, whose natural de-selection had placed their squat frames in my
clutches, had actions implicit in them, other than their intended use, that
they too could be scores for improvisation.
The final
form of the piece sees each cabinet reconfigured as a speaker, playing back a 4
channel recording of me and my friends riding these cabinets down a slope, the
damages inflicted on the boxes are recorded in their surfaces those inflicted
on us are recorded in the audio.
