Scelsi, 2004 - 2005, series of 9 pieces. The first were exhibited at the Lilian Rodriguez Gallery in December 2004 and at the Toronto Contemporary Art Fair in 2005.
Acoustic archeology is a field of research which inspired "Richard G. Woodbridge, who published in August 1969 an article in the journal of the eminent Institute of electrical and electronic engineers, The Proceedings of the IEEE, under the title " Acoustic Recordings From Antiquity ". The romantic scholar explained that he had carried out studies of sound recordings involuntarily engraved on the surface of ancient objects, in particular pottery. affix the needle of a vinyl turntable on the vase or the brushstroke studied and "a low frequency chatter could be heard through the headphones", supposedly the conversation of the people present during the making of the pottery ".
From the article by Juliette Volcler, Hear the past, November 23, 2016
I had read this story elsewhere, but only after naming this ensemble Scelsi, after the contemporary Italian composer. Did I have the intuition that these pieces retained in them a song, their own song, the color?
Immediately the eye slides into the hollow of the jet black bowls, whose walls are folded back on themselves. In the center, an opening lets see the inside covered with a turquoise and cracked glaze. Again, the eye can hardly judge of the depth. The optical effect is explained by the concave shape of the piece and the reflective shine of the turquoise glaze. Unlike the mirror whose virtual image is behind, in a concave form the virtual image is in front. The perspective remains confused creating the illusion of a floating color, captive of light.
Joseph Branco made a serie of drawings to accompany the "Scelci".
Stéphane D'Amour, poet, wrote this poem as a tribute to the drawings and the ceramic pieces.
de haut
cercle noir
le son rond
en son bleu
monté à l'eau
gazeuse
d'une planète
le saut
poème de Stéphane D'Amour