Final Year Studio - Research - Janek Schaefer - Extended Play

extended track, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to visit the Huddersfield Contemprary Music Festival's exhibition art pieces. One that stud out to me was Schaefer's 'Extended Play,' a tribute to the children who have had to endure times of war. A trio of retro record players, playing previously recorded instruments, play a coded score broadcasted by the BBC World Service to Polish Underground Movement in the second world war. There are three groups of three record players, each trio playing the instruments at a specific speed, thus creating a symphony and 'optimistic mass of sound.'

I was initially taken back by this artwork as it showed me the power of 'Associate Bandwidth' and the environment in which a piece is framed. For example the 'red' vibrant lighting of the gallery space really gives sense of war and times of trouble. Also even the aspect of laying out the record players in islands creates a great notion of overall collaboration between individual communities to create a greater good. My piece I feel will rely very much on the presentation and 'framing' of itself, it will be the use of both digital and analog media that will hopefully enhance the overall experience.