Sound Art in Cork: A Brief History
by MICHAEL DALY
In America, Nashville is sometimes referred to as ‘Music City,
USA’. Would it be unreasonable to apply the same title to Cork
city within Ireland? It bears repeating – Cork is a small place. It
would be considered a town rather than a city by the criteria of
many other countries but there is no doubting that despite its size
it more than punches above its weight musically speaking. The
list of outstanding musicians and bands that have lived and
played here over the last 40 years and more is long indeed. But
what really sets the city apart, I think, is the sheer diversity of
music on offer. Whatever genre of music you like, be it Rock,
Bluegrass, Classical, Hip-Hop, Irish Trad, Jazz or all of the
above, then there are plenty of opportunities to hear that music
being performed live and quite often free of charge. Go for a walk
downtown on any night and just
open your ears; the streets are
buzzing with music.
And happily for those with ‘open
ears’, the city has also witnessed
in fairly recent times the appearance
of a thriving community of
musicians who practice a form of
music that, while it could be
considered to lie outside the
‘mainstream’ music world, nevertheless
has a tradition and history
all of its own. The Sound
Art/Improv scene is flourishing in
Cork these days and there are a
growing number of local and
international artists working
within the city and performing
their work regularly to sizeable
audiences. The musics of Sound
Art and Improv can be seen as
being quite distinct from each
other, however there is a large
crossover evident here in Cork and
artists frequently work between
the two areas. What’s more, the
scene here is attracting attention
on an international level and
continues to go from strength to
strength.
But what are Sound Art and Improv? A strict definition of Sound
Art is difficult and beyond the scope of this article, since there is
still a lot of debate amongst art theoreticians as to its precise
nature. Suffice to say, that it is generally a form of music with a
defined visual aspect that focuses on the physical act of listening
and the nature of sounds in themselves. The phrase ‘Sound Art’
was coined in the early 80s to describe pieces by visual artists
who were producing conceptual works involving sound, and it
grew out of various 20th century artistic movements such as
Dada, Performance Art and Fluxus in particular (Fluxus was an
art movement active in the late 60s and 70s, which was highly
irreverent and questioned traditional art making practices in a
humorous and provocative way). ‘Improv’ refers to improvised
music which is performed freely, ‘in the moment’ and without
rules.
The scene in Cork has no one particular ‘sound’ as such and the
music’s scope is very broad – practitioners may perform using
electronics, noise, machinery, the spoken word, self-made instruments,
or indeed silence, to make music. Since this music is
sometimes made by people from an art rather than a music
background, elements such as video, sculpture, and physical
performance are all utilized during concerts and there is often a
conscious effort to engage the audience visually in some manner.
In Cork the first Sound Art related evenings were put on in the
early 1980s by the artist and founding director of the Triskel Arts
Centre, Danny McCarthy. An ardent admirer of the Fluxus group,
McCarthy had read about the work of its foremost artists for years
but never actually heard them performed, so he decided to organize
a night and have the pieces
presented by both himself and
other Cork-based artists in the
Triskel. The event was well
postered around the city and drew
a strong crowd. The audience that
turned up did not perhaps know
anyone on the bill aside from
Yoko Ono but may have guessed
they were in for something
unusual as the poster depicted
McCarthy hammering nails into a
piano.
Some of the pieces on offer that
night included a piece performed
by Gunter Berkus called Guitar
Piece where a guitar was kicked
out of the auditorium into the
street and around the block. Most
people in the space followed
Berkus on his journey along South
Main Street, on to Tobin Street ,
the Grand Parade and back to the
Triskel. Another interesting work
presented that night was George
Brecht’s Danger Music which
consisted of a person being
shaved onstage. Berkus grew a
beard in advance and a microphone
was miked up to a razor
while McCarthy held an umbrella over both Berkus and the
person doing the shaving, Tony Sheehan. McCarthy noted, ‘we
were all dressed up in suits etc, looking very respectable and all
the works were presented in a serious manner which added
greatly to the proceedings’. The general audience reaction to the
night he reckoned was ‘bemused, perplexed but positive’.
Over the next few years further nights of experimental music and
performance art were programmed by McCarthy in the Triskel
under the title ‘Sound Works’ and the numbers of people that
attended varied from packed houses to a few evenings where
there were more performers onstage than audience members.
These events were regularly reviewed by the arts critic, Hilary
Pyle, in The Irish Times, which provided a good deal of encouragement
for the artists involved, especially since The CorkExaminer, at that time somewhat infrequently reviewed the
performances. In the The Irish Times of April 2 1987, Pyle called
one 'Sound Works' evening 'versatile and entertaining' and went
on to describe a piece called ‘Newgrange’ by Bríd O'Brien, which
was inspired by the prehistoric site where the artist drew comparisons
between Indian and Celtic religious cults 'in slide images,
her own commentary, her own yoga poses, performed with a
superb Celtic mask and in an evocative blue leotard'.
Since then Sound Art has become firmly established in the Cork
musical environment and there have been many festivals
showcasing the form. One of these, the 'Intermedia' festival which
ran from 1990 to 2002 in the Triskel, brought recognised sound
artists from all over the world to Cork to perform including David
Toop, Pan Sonic, Max Eastley and Scanner. Indeed, one of the
most enjoyable exhibitions I have ever had the pleasure of going
to formed a part of that festival in the year 2000, an exhibition of
'music sculptures' by the French artists the Baschet Brothers. At
the opening of this show, most of the gallery-goers, I seem to
remember, worked themselves up into a state of giddy excitement
as they were encouraged by the brothers to play their beautifully
made sound instruments, using things such as metal bars and jets
of water to create various sounds, which hugely delighted
children and adults alike.
Currently there are lots of Sound Art/Improv related events going
on in the city. Upstairs in The Roundy Bar one can find 'Stetlab'
a monthly night focusing on improvised music curated by Hanearl
Park. Over in the Granary (usually) there is the 'Black Sun'
weirdo/outer-limits music event run by Vicky Langan and Paul
Hegarty, which features performances of a perhaps slightly more
psychedelic flavour and whose aim is 'to present exciting
performers to an Irish audience and give local weirdos an opportunity
to play in a really cool setting'. And right by Shandon Bells
itself on Chapel Street is 'The Guesthouse Project', a house that
facilitates 'other kinds of artistic practice outside of the studio'
and regularly hosts Sound Art performances. These also
sometimes double as Sunday lunches where guests are encouraged
to participate by bringing food in to help make the dish of
the day, as well as listen to the music of course. The Triskel is
also continuing its long held support for Sound Art and
programmes events frequently.
I asked the German sound artist, Roland Etzin, founder of the
Gruenrekorder record label and former artist in residence at the
Guesthouse Project, what was notable about Cork musically. He
replied, 'For me Cork has an amazing creative atmosphere with
an open mind for input from outside. There is a very good feeling
about connecting and supporting artists and also a great chance
for beginners to express themselves'. I also questioned Danny
McCarthy about what makes Cork different from elsewhere in
relation to Sound Art, and he suggested that the special thing
about here perhaps is the lack of barriers between the various
strands of experimentalism that occur. In Cork, sound artists,
contemporary composers, experimental rock musicians and
improvisers work side by side, whereas in other places the
individual 'scenes' are possibly more separate and there is less of
a synergy going on between the different musics. In any case
what is beyond doubt is that Cork at this moment is a very fertile
place indeed for those seeking to expand their musical horizons
as both listeners and performers, and as McCarthy overheard
recently during a conversation amongst some music lovers –
'THIS is Cork's golden age of Sound Art'. If that is the case then
get out there and hear it while it lasts!
Some websites which may be of interest:
The Guesthouse Project, http://www.theguesthouse.ie
Danny McCarthy, http://www.dannymccarthy.ie
Black Sun Music Night, http://www.myspace.com/solnigerire
Stetlab, http://www.busterandfriends.com/stet
Gruenrekorder Records, http://www.gruenrekorder.de/
The Triskel Arts Centre, http://www.triskelart.com
Vicky Langan and The Quiet Club perform in the Triskel Arts Centre, December 2009 Photo: Patricia Klich
by MICHAEL DALY
In America, Nashville is sometimes referred to as ‘Music City,
USA’. Would it be unreasonable to apply the same title to Cork
city within Ireland? It bears repeating – Cork is a small place. It
would be considered a town rather than a city by the criteria of
many other countries but there is no doubting that despite its size
it more than punches above its weight musically speaking. The
list of outstanding musicians and bands that have lived and
played here over the last 40 years and more is long indeed. But
what really sets the city apart, I think, is the sheer diversity of
music on offer. Whatever genre of music you like, be it Rock,
Bluegrass, Classical, Hip-Hop, Irish Trad, Jazz or all of the
above, then there are plenty of opportunities to hear that music
being performed live and quite often free of charge. Go for a walk
downtown on any night and just
open your ears; the streets are
buzzing with music.
And happily for those with ‘open
ears’, the city has also witnessed
in fairly recent times the appearance
of a thriving community of
musicians who practice a form of
music that, while it could be
considered to lie outside the
‘mainstream’ music world, nevertheless
has a tradition and history
all of its own. The Sound
Art/Improv scene is flourishing in
Cork these days and there are a
growing number of local and
international artists working
within the city and performing
their work regularly to sizeable
audiences. The musics of Sound
Art and Improv can be seen as
being quite distinct from each
other, however there is a large
crossover evident here in Cork and
artists frequently work between
the two areas. What’s more, the
scene here is attracting attention
on an international level and
continues to go from strength to
strength.
But what are Sound Art and Improv? A strict definition of Sound
Art is difficult and beyond the scope of this article, since there is
still a lot of debate amongst art theoreticians as to its precise
nature. Suffice to say, that it is generally a form of music with a
defined visual aspect that focuses on the physical act of listening
and the nature of sounds in themselves. The phrase ‘Sound Art’
was coined in the early 80s to describe pieces by visual artists
who were producing conceptual works involving sound, and it
grew out of various 20th century artistic movements such as
Dada, Performance Art and Fluxus in particular (Fluxus was an
art movement active in the late 60s and 70s, which was highly
irreverent and questioned traditional art making practices in a
humorous and provocative way). ‘Improv’ refers to improvised
music which is performed freely, ‘in the moment’ and without
rules.
The scene in Cork has no one particular ‘sound’ as such and the
music’s scope is very broad – practitioners may perform using
electronics, noise, machinery, the spoken word, self-made instruments,
or indeed silence, to make music. Since this music is
sometimes made by people from an art rather than a music
background, elements such as video, sculpture, and physical
performance are all utilized during concerts and there is often a
conscious effort to engage the audience visually in some manner.
In Cork the first Sound Art related evenings were put on in the
early 1980s by the artist and founding director of the Triskel Arts
Centre, Danny McCarthy. An ardent admirer of the Fluxus group,
McCarthy had read about the work of its foremost artists for years
but never actually heard them performed, so he decided to organize
a night and have the pieces
presented by both himself and
other Cork-based artists in the
Triskel. The event was well
postered around the city and drew
a strong crowd. The audience that
turned up did not perhaps know
anyone on the bill aside from
Yoko Ono but may have guessed
they were in for something
unusual as the poster depicted
McCarthy hammering nails into a
piano.
Some of the pieces on offer that
night included a piece performed
by Gunter Berkus called Guitar
Piece where a guitar was kicked
out of the auditorium into the
street and around the block. Most
people in the space followed
Berkus on his journey along South
Main Street, on to Tobin Street ,
the Grand Parade and back to the
Triskel. Another interesting work
presented that night was George
Brecht’s Danger Music which
consisted of a person being
shaved onstage. Berkus grew a
beard in advance and a microphone
was miked up to a razor
while McCarthy held an umbrella over both Berkus and the
person doing the shaving, Tony Sheehan. McCarthy noted, ‘we
were all dressed up in suits etc, looking very respectable and all
the works were presented in a serious manner which added
greatly to the proceedings’. The general audience reaction to the
night he reckoned was ‘bemused, perplexed but positive’.
Over the next few years further nights of experimental music and
performance art were programmed by McCarthy in the Triskel
under the title ‘Sound Works’ and the numbers of people that
attended varied from packed houses to a few evenings where
there were more performers onstage than audience members.
These events were regularly reviewed by the arts critic, Hilary
Pyle, in The Irish Times, which provided a good deal of encouragement
for the artists involved, especially since The CorkExaminer, at that time somewhat infrequently reviewed the
performances. In the The Irish Times of April 2 1987, Pyle called
one 'Sound Works' evening 'versatile and entertaining' and went
on to describe a piece called ‘Newgrange’ by Bríd O'Brien, which
was inspired by the prehistoric site where the artist drew comparisons
between Indian and Celtic religious cults 'in slide images,
her own commentary, her own yoga poses, performed with a
superb Celtic mask and in an evocative blue leotard'.
Since then Sound Art has become firmly established in the Cork
musical environment and there have been many festivals
showcasing the form. One of these, the 'Intermedia' festival which
ran from 1990 to 2002 in the Triskel, brought recognised sound
artists from all over the world to Cork to perform including David
Toop, Pan Sonic, Max Eastley and Scanner. Indeed, one of the
most enjoyable exhibitions I have ever had the pleasure of going
to formed a part of that festival in the year 2000, an exhibition of
'music sculptures' by the French artists the Baschet Brothers. At
the opening of this show, most of the gallery-goers, I seem to
remember, worked themselves up into a state of giddy excitement
as they were encouraged by the brothers to play their beautifully
made sound instruments, using things such as metal bars and jets
of water to create various sounds, which hugely delighted
children and adults alike.
Currently there are lots of Sound Art/Improv related events going
on in the city. Upstairs in The Roundy Bar one can find 'Stetlab'
a monthly night focusing on improvised music curated by Hanearl
Park. Over in the Granary (usually) there is the 'Black Sun'
weirdo/outer-limits music event run by Vicky Langan and Paul
Hegarty, which features performances of a perhaps slightly more
psychedelic flavour and whose aim is 'to present exciting
performers to an Irish audience and give local weirdos an opportunity
to play in a really cool setting'. And right by Shandon Bells
itself on Chapel Street is 'The Guesthouse Project', a house that
facilitates 'other kinds of artistic practice outside of the studio'
and regularly hosts Sound Art performances. These also
sometimes double as Sunday lunches where guests are encouraged
to participate by bringing food in to help make the dish of
the day, as well as listen to the music of course. The Triskel is
also continuing its long held support for Sound Art and
programmes events frequently.
I asked the German sound artist, Roland Etzin, founder of the
Gruenrekorder record label and former artist in residence at the
Guesthouse Project, what was notable about Cork musically. He
replied, 'For me Cork has an amazing creative atmosphere with
an open mind for input from outside. There is a very good feeling
about connecting and supporting artists and also a great chance
for beginners to express themselves'. I also questioned Danny
McCarthy about what makes Cork different from elsewhere in
relation to Sound Art, and he suggested that the special thing
about here perhaps is the lack of barriers between the various
strands of experimentalism that occur. In Cork, sound artists,
contemporary composers, experimental rock musicians and
improvisers work side by side, whereas in other places the
individual 'scenes' are possibly more separate and there is less of
a synergy going on between the different musics. In any case
what is beyond doubt is that Cork at this moment is a very fertile
place indeed for those seeking to expand their musical horizons
as both listeners and performers, and as McCarthy overheard
recently during a conversation amongst some music lovers –
'THIS is Cork's golden age of Sound Art'. If that is the case then
get out there and hear it while it lasts!
Some websites which may be of interest:
The Guesthouse Project, http://www.theguesthouse.ie
Danny McCarthy, http://www.dannymccarthy.ie
Black Sun Music Night, http://www.myspace.com/solnigerire
Stetlab, http://www.busterandfriends.com/stet
Gruenrekorder Records, http://www.gruenrekorder.de/
The Triskel Arts Centre, http://www.triskelart.com
Vicky Langan and The Quiet Club perform in the Triskel Arts Centre, December 2009 Photo: Patricia Klich
Comments
Post a Comment