Audio Works

In keeping with its intention and tradition of bringing new developments in art to the attention of the public, Artists Space is presenting New York's first exhibition of sound pieces by artists. This innovative exhibition identifies a growing trend towards involvement with sounds as an art medium. It includes non-visual works by about 75 artists on audiotape, records, and in installations and performances. In addition to this specific phenomenon in recent art, Audio Works reflects the general direction toward broadening the concept of what constitutes viable art media and also diminishing the validity of the once clear distinctions between visual art and areas of poetry, music, storytelling, and theatre.

While there is a long history in modern art of isolated works by visual artists using sound, only in the past few years has there been an active involvement with the medium for qualities of sound exclusive of visual material. A survey of artists' records organized by Germano Celante is being seen at art museums in the U.S. (a smaller version of that show was seen at London's Royal College of Art in 1973) and includes records by such figures as Marinetti, Schwitters, Klein and Dubuffet as well as by contemporary artists. An exhibition of artists' tapes titled "Narrative Themes" was organized by the Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art (LAICA). The LAICA tapes, which have contributions from John Baldessari, Chris Burden, Allan Kaprow and many others are included in Audio Works.

All of Artists Space gallery rooms are devoted to separate listening areas. In the entrance gallery are more than a dozen records by Charlemagne Palestine, Christian Boltanski, Laurie Anderson, Jack Goldstein and others, as well as an anthology of artists' sound works on an album One Ten Records, to be played on a record player. The main gallery will have amplified sound from audio tapes by a number of artists that include Julia Heyward, Jill Kroesen, David Hykes, Joan Jonas, Christopher Knowles, Stuart Sherman...The rear gallery will have two cassette players with earphones for listening to the many narrative tapes in the show that include works by William Wegman, Michael Smith, Constance de Jong, Michael McClark, Les Levine as well as the LAICA tapes and many contributed by CLOSE artists programming at KPFK in Los Angeles.

Four installation works are included in the show, two by Rhys Chatham and Scott Johnson occupy project rooms 206 and 207. A telephone listening location is set up to hear Beth B's recording of brothel appointments made by telephone. Bill Beirne has installed a conceptual piece that includes audio tape with state content but no actual sound.

Three artists will do performances during the course of the exhibition:

John Zorn - "The Creation Story"
San Francisco
Friday, February 10, 8 p.m.

Scott Johnson - "What Happened"
Friday and Saturday, February 17 and 18, 8 p.m.

Rhys Chatham - "Ear Ringing"
Wednesday and Thursday, February 22 and 23, 8 p.m.