Twittering Machines

Christian Marclay, Record Without a Cover (1985)

The Whitney Museum strikes again – Christian Marclay: Festival, July 1–September 26, 2010.

From the press release: Artist/composer Christian Marclay (b. 1955) is known for his distinctive fusion of image and sound. Celebrated as a pioneer of turntablism, Marclay transforms sound and music into visual and physical forms through performance, collage, sculpture, large-scale installations, photography, and video. This groundbreaking Whitney exhibition—activated by daily concerts and continually evolving—explores Marclay’s approach to the world around him with a particular focus on his “graphic scores” for performance by musicians and vocalists.

Natalia Perez drawing in “Christian Marclay: Festival.”
photo credit: Marcus Yam/The New York Times

Turntablism? Yes turntablism. While the term ‘turntablist’ was coined in 1985 by DJ Babu, Marclay used a skipping LP as live percussion to stand in for his drummer-less band way back in 1979. The Whitney exhibit includes daily live performances and a chalk board on which visitors can make words or marks that the performers use as their evolving score.

Lee Ranaldo, left, and Ulrich Krieger performed Mr. Marclay’s “Screen Play”
photo credit: Marcus Yam/The New York Times

Performers include Lee Ranaldo (yes, we missed him), Ikue Mori (of DNA fame – today!), Marilyn Crispell, Elliot Sharp, and Zeena Parkins. And check out the NY Times coverage for an in-depth discussion of Marclay’s work.

Interactive music-as-performance-art to help raise our awareness of the importance of music and art in our lives. What more can you ask for?