Pianology

Two works for computer operated piano. First performed on Thursday 2 December 1999 at Lombard-Freid, New York. Commissioned by Lombard-Freid Fine Arts.

SLAVE PIANOS

recitals of visual artists’ music and sound art

The SLAVE PIANOS repertoire is performed by the QRS Pianomation Research Laboratory Player Piano, the Playola. The Pianomation Reproducing System is a MIDI equipped playback system for acoustic pianos. Playback occurs when MIDI performance commands are sent from the controller; this master slave configuration instructs the piano in matters of note endurance, levels of expression as well as sustain & soft pedaling commands. Pianomation strictly controls each piano key with 127 levels of expression across 16 channels. Pianomation can endure up to 32 note polyphony. The Pianomation Reproducing System is supremely capable of summoning any piano to play obediently, unquestioningly, flawlessly, submissively and humbly.

PIANOLOGY 1955–98

Richard SWALLOW, Operator, 1998
Australian, sculptor b. 1974 San Remo

Martin CREED, Work No. 117, 1995
Scottish, sculptor b. Wakefield 1966

Jean DUBUFFET, Coq a L’oeil, 1961
French, painter b. Le Havre 1901, d. 1985

DM THOMAS + Hany ARMANIOUS, November 1996, 1997
Australian, painter b. Sydney 1968
Australian, sculptor b. Egypt 1962

Marco FUSINATO, EP in E, 1997
Australian, painter b. Melbourne 1964

George BRECHT, Comb Piece (Comb Event), 1959–62
American, sculptor b. Halway, Oregon 1925

Thomas LAWSON, Untitled, 1981
Scottish, painter b. Scotland 1950

Peter TYNDALL as Slave Guitars, 6, 1981
Australian, painter b. Melbourne 1951

Joseph BEUYS + Nam June PAIK, In Memoriam George Maciunas, 1978
German, sculptor b. Krefeld 1921, d. 1986
Korean, sculptor b. Seoul 1932

Martin KERSELS, Fax Machine, 1995
American, sculptor b.

John BARLEYCORN as Two Greys Becoming, 2, 1981
Australian, painter b. Sydney 1949

Mike KELLEY with Destroy All Monsters, The End of Time, 1995
American, sculptor b. Wayne, Michigan 1954

Domenico de CLARIO, From The Opaque, 1994–5
Australian, sculptor b. Trieste 1947

Katharina FRITSCH, Unken, 1990
German, sculptor b. Essen 1956

Anthony CLARK (The Living Rococo), Untitled, 1981
Australian, painter b. Canberra 1954

Jean TINGUELY, Relief Meta-mechanique Sonore I, 1955
Swiss, sculptor b. Fribourg 1925, d.1989

Bruce McLEAN with Harvey Mangolds Vidor Diodes, Limpo-Wristo Poncho-Rocko, c1980
Scottish, painter b. Glasgow 1944

Ronnie van HOUT with Into The Void, Bank Roll, 1998
New Zealand, sculptor b. Christchurch 1962

Daniel MALONE + Martin POPPERWELL, The Strike Church, 1990
New Zealand, sculptor b.
New Zealand, painter b.

Louise BOURGEOIS, Otte, 1995
American, sculptor b. Paris 1911

Ross SINCLAIR with the Soup Dragons, Head Gone Astray, 1987
Scottish, sculptor b.

Lillian BUDD (Merryln Tweedie), Studies For Existence, 1998
New Zealand, sculptor b. Christchurch 1953

Diter ROT (Dieter Roth), Der Akkordeon Fluch, 1981–2
Swiss, sculptor b. Hannover 1930 d.1998

Tony OURSLER, Trance Emissions, 1977–83
American, sculptor b. New York, New York 1957

Chris BURDEN, Velvet Water, 1974
American, sculptor b. Boston, Massachusetts 1946

Louise LAWLER, Bird Calls, 1972 American, photographer b. Bronxville, New York 1947

John BALDESSARI, Throwing a Ball Once to get 3 Melodies & 15 Chords, 1973
American, photographer b. National City, California 1931

David WOJNAROWICZ with 3 Teens Kill 4, Hunger, 1981
American, painter b. Red Bank, New Jersey, d. 1992