Songs of Joy, Songs of Sorrow
May 2-30, 2025
Opening May 2, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
A drum. BANG SCREAM BANG SHRIEK CRY HOWL WAIL
A megaphone. SING WHISTLE HUM WAIL CHANT MOAN
Here, now, silent, still. VOICELESS
But light, shining through darkness.
Scribbles, scrawls.
REVOLUTION (33-1/3, 45, 78 RPM)
Scratch. FFFFPPPPMFSFZ
The Songs of Joy, Songs of Sorrow installation features musical instruments and noisemakers made of glass, vinyl, felt, and foil – drums, megaphones, and party noisemakers arranged on the Garage’s concrete floor. These fragile instruments, if not played carefully, would easily crack, break, or flatten. Their music risks their own destruction.
There are also photograms – recordings on paper, made with other instruments, displayed on the Garage’s walls. Many feature disc-like shapes inspired by vinyl records, with words circling around them. Their pinhole letterforms shine out from the surrounding darkness. Vocalizations of anguished emotions, and sorrows, and eruptions and shouts of pure musical, onomatopoeic joy.
Aluminum discs are hung from the Garage ceiling and float and turn in the air, recalling other revolutions, running at 33-1/3, 45, and 78 turns per minute.
The Songs of Joy, Songs of Sorrow installation also includes the music of Sivan Silver-Swartz, comprised of percussive rhythms marking the passage of time.
A selection of unique photograms are available. Twenty percent of proceeds will be donated to Planned Parenthood and the ACLU.
