DiSConceRT: An Evening of Sound and Performance Art

On Saturday, January 13, at 7 pm four New England performance artists, Crank Sturgeon, Id m theft ible, and Qfwfq duo, will descend on Feed Your Head in Salem, MA, to present their latest works. It will be an evening of vastly diverse aesthetics, comprising electronic and acoustic sounds, voice, action, real-time digital image processing, movement, and, last but not least, humor. No labels here—just a great variety of artistic expression, serving as a tribute to originality and personal creativity. Not to be missed . . .

Crank Sturgeon (Maine)
A spectator from a show in Columbus, OH, put it best:
“Speaking of stage presence, Crank Sturgeon had so much that it seemed to ooze from the guy’s pores. . . . Crank’s set wasn’t just some pseudo intellectual performance art piece. It was an amazingly charismatic, high energy harsh noise set that really made me envious. Even though he stood basically in the same place, he was a constantly moving mad man, his body contorting in odd angles, perfectly in sync with the glorious noise that came from the speakers as he assaulted a pickup with various kitchen utensils. During the set I actually thought that he had a contact mic on his body somewhere, the man was so in tune with the waves of distortion he was generating. There was a lot of humor here, yet a very strong intensity as well. . . . Not one flaw I can pick at.”


www.cranksturgeon.com


Id m theft ible (Maine)
Id m theft ible’s work is driven by the purest of unconscious forces which crystallize in pieces filled with astonishingly mature sound and performatic content. The wealth of his work resides in the scarce means of expression he uses: water, air, his voice, an old mic, a branch of a Maine pine tree, or even a rotting couch. Unbelievable subtle rhythms and noises converge in performances of impeccable honesty—and tons of humor to boot!

http://kraag.org


Qfwfq duo (Salem, MA)
Even though Qfwfq duo’s performances are submerged in technology, they make a point of rescuing from among the imbroglio of cables, interfaces, and sensors what remains of their humanity. In their performance, movement, light, and voices generate a powerful amalgam of images and sound. Their point of departure will be “DeSConcieRTo,” a poem in SpaNoisGlish—a new language born of the winters of Salem, MA.

www.qfwfqduo.com

Please join us for this unique experience on Saturday, January 13 at 7 pm at Feed Your Head Books. A $5 donation is requested. For more information, please contact randie@feedyourheadbooks.com or call 978-744-4009.

Salem Open Studios/Opening Reception for "Recycle and Reuse" Tomorrow 12/9

The first ever Salem Open Studios is taking place this Saturday, December 9, from 10 am to 6 pm, offering many other opportunities to pick up handcrafted items, the kinds of gifts you won't find online or at the mall. There are nineteen open studio locations around Salem and forty different artists displaying their work. To see examples of individual artists' work and for a downloadable map, visit the website at www.salemopenstudios.com. Maps will also be available at all participating locations.

As part of Salem Open Studios, Feed Your Head will be showcasing our latest art exhibit, Recycle and Reuse: The Art and Craft of the Repurposed. Featuring eighteen artists and craftisans who reclaim, repurpose, recycle, and reuse discarded, lost and found, and post- consumer waste into artistic endeavors, Recycle and Reuse illustrates that one man's trash is not just another man's treasure, but also his art supply and inspiration. What makes all the pieces in this show unique is not just that they incorporate discarded or atypical objects, but that they are able to transform these objects into works of art. Simply putting discarded items together does not a masterpiece make; it's the arrangement of unrelated and often overlooked items to become one cohesive piece that's beautiful that makes these works into pieces of art. As participating artist Kelly King from San Pedro, CA, says, “The process of creating is the same as living . . . taking beautiful experiences, not-so-beautiful experiences, scraps leftover from the day, and other items (sometimes treasure, sometimes trash) found along the way, and finding a way to weave them together so that the result is beautiful to look back on.”

The exhibit will run from December 9 - January 28 and the opening reception, featuring the musical stylings of Jacob Berendes, co-owner of Happy Birthday Mike Leslie in Worcester, will be held on Saturday, December 9 from 6 - 9 pm. In addition, from 10 am - 6 pm on December 9, participating artists Donna Albino and Rachel Meyer will be giving demonstrations and instruction on various paper crafts, including papermaking and origami.

Salem Open Studios Saturday 12/9

Saturday, December 9th
10am-6pm

19 locations around Salem
41 participating artists

Come visit Salem artists in their studios! Shop for the holidays and talk to the artists themselves. Over 40 artists are opening their workshop and studios in this one-of-a-kind experience. See original local art, by local artists, the kinds of gifts you won't find online or at the mall.

MAPS can be downloaded from the website or picked up at any location.
FREE Parking is available at the Museum Place parking lot and the Rowley Plaza lot.


Participating Artists
Below is a list of the artists participating in Salem Open Studios 2006.
Photos of the individual artists work can be found on the website www.SalemOpenStudios.com


Janet Albert
Donna Albino
The Art Corner
Sara JH Ashodian
Judith Beals
Jennifer "jeff" Bowie
Bobbie Bush
Chris Cuddy
Rebecca & Josh Devries
Martha Everson
Feed Your Head Books
Gwen Galpin
Dore Gardner
Joshua Gerloff
The GlassWorks Studio
Kyle Hanton
Ellen Hardy
Laurene Hunt
John Hutchinson
John F. Hurley
Pat Iverson
Rich Kattman
Heidi Kepnes
Scott Lanes
Isa Leshko
Sandra Lezcano
Ashley Maddox
Elise Mankes
Marketplace Quilts
Sandra McIntyre-Lowe
Pat Mulloney
Alex Panos
Melissa Penta
Wendie Pirtle
Judith Quain
Lynne Sausele
Sharon Shea
Racket Shreve
Singing String Music
Leanne Elliott Soden
Jill Waterman
Christine Wirkkala