String TV Documentation
Below are two videos of my installation String TV, which was presented in San Francisco at the LAB’s 25th Anniversary Exhibition August 2009. The first video is a demo explaining the system and inspiration for the piece. The second video is a performance on the instrument by Gregg Kowalsky, who also did the camerawork on both videos. Special thanks to the staff at the LAB for being such wonderful hosts & to Max Allstadt for his beautiful fabrication & woodworking. I hope to do some sister pieces to this one, and also a special performance using this instrument in the coming months.
StringTV Closing Party & Teaser Video
StringTV is closing Saturday 8/29 and there’s a reception Friday 8/28 5-7pm @ the LAB, 16th @ Capp st, SF.
Closing Reception Friday 8/28 5-7pm!
Also, here’s a short lo-res, kinda crunchy video of the TV/visual portion of the installation. The video shows only the TV, not the string instrument which is making all of the sound you hear. During the video, I am moving the magnets, so you can hear/see the string overtones changing. Sorry there’s crunchy distortion on the audio & the black bar on the side…
Last night I recorded a much better video including an explanation of the piece and “performance” demo on it by Gregg Kowalsky, who is definitely the best StringTV player out there… It will be the same kind of format as my “Rigs” demo/performance, where I explain all my not-so-secrets, and then you can see it in action. Will edit & post it soon!
String TV Closing this week 8/29
Friday, August 28th is the closing reception, 5-6pm
the LAB, 16th St @ Capp
a small video will be posted later this week, also… also here’s a pic of Max Matthews & his wife Marj exploring the piece
… go see it while its still up!!!
String TV Opening Reception
The String TV Opening party went really well. The LAB was packed with people touching, playing, rubbing, moving, plucking, and otherwise getting intimate with the installation. The TV seemed to function as a kind of “frequency radar” to tell when, as you were “tuning” the magnets, you were hitting a node: before you hear the changes, you can usually see them. It was really rewarding for me to sit back and watch people explore the installation, without feeling a need to explain or demonstrate, although yes, I sure did plenty of talking too!
Participants love to feel the low frequencies on the sound board, it was one of the unexpected pleasant surprises of the night
Me and Gregg in the forefront. The monitor offers visual feedback and an immersive quality that seems to draw people in.
String TV @ the LAB’s Pastfoward Exhibition
Opening reception this Friday, part of a group show running all through August. The exhibition features the works of: Ellen Babcock, Jeremiah Barber, Philip Grant Davidson, Ryan Hendon, Raymie Iadevaia, Marielle Jakobsons, JP Kelly, Daniel Konhauser, Darrin Martin & Torsten Zenas Burns, Aaron Rosenstreich, Victoria Wagner, Andrew Wingler, and Megan & Blade Wynne.
StringTV Installation Prototype Pics
My new installation opens July 31st at the LAB, San Francisco, and runs through August. Stop by 6-9pm if you’re in the area!
The string instrument is almost totally finished, and is looking a bit like this. The middle is where the magnets slide along the string, shaping the overtones of feedback.
In the second picture you can see better, how the board is a sort of undulating shape. It is also a little bit soft, and turns into a superfun “wammy” bar when you lean on the curves… Not sure if that will stay a feature of the final version or not, but it was a fun side effect nonetheless…
More pics coming as I install it this weekend!