Jack Straw New Media Gallery

Felt An interactive sound installation by Gust Burns & Melanie Noel June 21 - August 21, 2009 Gallery Opening:  Friday, June 12, 7pm Artist Talk & Performance: Monday, June 29, 7pm Jack Straw New Media Gallery 4261 Roosevelt Way NE Seattle 98105 Gallery Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 - 5

Drawing by Heide Hinrichs

Felt is an investigation into how matter, form and surface hold, reveal, and alter what they contain. Four 12" dubplate records on four separate turntables, each with its own sound system, may be played by visitors to the gallery - one at a time, all at once, or in any combination. Two are piano recordings by improviser Gust Burns and two are poems by Melanie Noel. The dubplates will disintegrate slowly over the course of the installation. As the surface material breaks down so does the sonic material, altering what is heard when what is heard is already uncertain depending on which records are played in what combinations.

On Monday, June 29, Gust, Melanie and two special guests will perform live improvisations with the records, followed by a lecture and discussion of the project

On Wednesday, August 21, Chrisopher DeLaurenti will present a special Composer Spotlight titled "The New Phonographers," detailing the exploration and modification by artists of the venerable turntable, from record players made of cardboard (the CardTalk player and the flap-o-phone) and TinkerToys to lathe-like devices such as the Palimpsest, "Paper Record Player," and other conceptual and so-called "Anti-Records."

Jack Straw Productions gratefully acknowledges The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, City of Seattle’s Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, 4Culture King County Lodging Tax Fund, Washington State Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Arts, PONCHO, ArtsFund, and individual contributors for their support of Jack Straw Artist Programs.