88 Years
Decomposing Pianos (Julia Krolik and Owen Fernley) – 2011
The piano is a natural way to sonify our numerical age. By placing each year on the chromatic scale, an individual can be represented by a single key. A chord becomes a friend, a family or a relationship.
A note becomes a full life, well-lived. Both man and machine move along the same arrow of time to which we are all captive. Decomposing Pianos will chronologically depict 88 people for each key on the piano throughout 2011. The State of Flux Gallery will showcase this work in progress. Sustained notes and portraits of several groups and individuals will be presented along with the piano itself.
About the Artist
Decomposing Pianos - Julia Krolik and Owen Fernley—
Decomposing Pianos are Julia Krolik and Owen Fernley. The name comes from a decomposing piano in their backyard. They study the slow decay and sudden transitions seen all around us. Ideas are presented in the form of improvisational and structured music and noise. Theatre, set design and photography are key supporting elements. Their final work takes the form of a produced segment, a concert or an installation. Decomposing Pianos seek to remove ornamental enclosures, reveal the mechanisms within, and allow them to breathe alongside modern day electronics and the natural sounds of our world.