On the cusp of November, Music is a Better Noise opened up at P.S.1. The exhibit brings together musicians who make art and (you guessed it) artists who make music - or at the very least, use music as a creative motivator in their art.
The exhibition is broken up in to two parts. The first part explores New York-based artists and musicians who emerged in the city during the mid-1970s to early 1980s, and who continue to make music today. Artists include Legendary rapper Rammellzee will include a group of his “Letter Racer” tanks made from scavenged trash. And Alan Vega, who formed electro-punk group Suicide (with Martin Rev) in the early 1970s. Vega will unveil new sculptures (alongside his older works) made from New York City’s detritus and discarded junk.
The second part of the exhibition focuses on works by artists and musicians who have been active since the late 1980s and early 1990s. It includes works from Devendra Banhart (photo of his art at the exhibit here); Bjorn Copeland, guitarist in Black Dice; Japanese artist Eye, of noise-punk band The Boredoms; Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth (what, no Lee Ranaldo?); Meredyth Sparks, who created glitter portraits inspired by Ian Curtis of Joy Division; and Don van Vliet, also known as Captain Beefheart (a long time friend, collaborator and sometimes rival of Frank Zappa).
In the perfect combination of art and music, there will of course be a video portion of the exhibit as well. The "outrageous music video by Raw Sewage, a group led by the late Leigh Bowery, a performance artist active in London in the late 1980s and early 1990s; Swiss artist Olaf Breuning; Mark Leckey; Swedish artist Klara Liden; Christian Marclay; Ara Peterson, whose video is scored by former Spacemen 3 member Sonic Boom; Delia Gonzalez and Gavin Russom; and Mika Tajima, who regularly performs with the group New Humans." Enjoy!
Through January 8, 2007 // P.S.1. [22-25 Jackson Avenue (at the intersection of 46th Avenue) Long Island City]
