Two poles that inform Tony Conrad’s diverse oeuvre are the flicker and the drone.
Curated by Michael Cohen
Two poles that inform Tony Conrad’s diverse oeuvre are the flicker and the drone. The former, via a seeming slowing down of the mechanics of film, interrupts the medium’s illusion of continuity. The latter, conversely, represents a principle of dedifferentiation, as it causes otherwise discrete sonic elements to meld together, producing a concrete psychoacoustic experience. This survey, the first in more than twenty years, shows how Conrad incorporated both of these techniques into public interventions and educational projects. The show includes episodes and artifacts from Conrad’s early-1990s cable-access series Studio in the Streets, two musical performances, rarely seen films from the 1970s, and an installation of new works. A catalogue with essays by Branden W. Joseph, Andrew Lampert, Tabea Lurk, and Jay Sanders; a panel discussion with the artist; and an extensive program of film screenings at Anthology Film Archives will complement 80WSE’s exhibition.