The Art Scene: 01.08.15
Upcoming at the Parrish
In connection with their Parrish Art Museum exhibition “Mary Queen of the Universe,” Steven and William Ladd have for the past two months conducted a “scrollathon,” in which local students tour the exhibition and work with the artists to learn how to make and use scrolls. A talk by the Ladds today at noon will describe their involvement with the East End community and how it has affected their work. The program will also include a preview of their film “The Parrish Scrollathon,” which will document their residency.
A different experience will be on offer tomorrow at 6 p.m., when Cliff Baldwin, an artist and filmmaker, will present the New York premiere of “The Language of Light,” a live cinema event that celebrates natural and man-made light.
An original score provided by the Aquebogue Orchestrion, a digital musical instrument programmed by the artist, accompanies the visuals. The imagery includes a carnival in Jamesport, traffic and night street scenes in Paris and Berlin, extraterrestrial views from the International Space Station, the spectacle of light in Times Square, a fully illuminated Eiffel Tower, and a segment that explores the glow of light that emanates from cellphones. Audience participation will be encouraged during the latter segment.
The score fuses traditional sounds from the Coney Island carousel and barrel organs with electronic samples collected in New York, Stockholm, Warsaw, and Budapest. The images are directly triggered by the music that Mr. Baldwin composes in real time, thereby fusing film, sound, and live performance.
Mr. Baldwin is a word artist, designer, sculptor, and filmmaker who lives and works in Aquebogue. He has exhibited in Tokyo, Cologne, Berlin, Mexico City, Los Angeles, and New York, and has work in numerous collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Walker Art Center, the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Gallery of Canada, and the Rhode Island School of Design Museum.
Tickets to both programs are $10, free for members, students, and children.