While the official press release announcing Rebecca Gates’ remix record on Comedy Minus One has yet to be published, the following should be of interest to many in the New York area:
AC Institute [Direct Chapel] – Gallery Exhibitions
September 3rd – October 10th, 2009
Opening Event: Thursday, September 10th, 6-8pm
In A Star Orbit (CandyStations One, Two, Threemix)
Remixes:
“In A Star Orbit” (Magic Feather, Catch and Release Remix)
“In A Star Orbit” (Noel Kupersmith, Hoo Hoo Remix)
“In A Star Orbit” (Kate Simko, Breathless Remix)
—Song Written and Performed by Rebecca Gates
The AC is pleased to present Deborah Johnson’s music video installation in collaboration with Rebecca Gates (formerly of The Spinanes).
By trade, Johnson designs live visual accompaniment for musicians, using a combination of film, video and animation to transform her collaborator’s music into the visual realm. The visuals combine representational imagery, generative animation and patterns ranging from the more literal to the more emotive and abstract, all the while paying special attention to the narrative of the song and how it unfolds. Using real-time video software, she performs her compositions live with the band, at times projecting onto multiple or three-dimensional surfaces.
For Johnson’s In A Star Orbit (CandyStations One, Two, Threemix), she draws from Gates’ newly released set of remixes The Ruby Series. Johnson takes three remixes of her favorite original song, “In A Star Orbit”, creating unique music videos for each. Projecting the videos consecutively onto three hanging sounding balloons, she borrows from a childhood memory of constructing makeshift universes for her parents (a roll of scotch tape hanging from the ceiling representing Saturn, et cetera). Utilitarian and personal objects of varying size, shape, color and reflectivity orbit each balloon and help to concoct this world in which the videos can exist. These objects occasionally intercept the projections, catching light and casting shadows.
The installation reveals a small cosmos created through the relationship among all of its constellate parts: Johnson’s distinct visuals; the original musician and her song; and the remixers, who together explore the range of interpretation.
For more, visit the AC Institute web site.