The Record: Contemporary Art and Vinyl Opens Wednesday at the Nasher

August, 23, 2010 , by Ladye Jane

With what promises to be a remarkable experience for both music and contemporary art lovers alike, the wait is finally over for the Nasher Museum of Art’s latest exhibit, The Record: Contemporary Art and Vinyl. The highly anticipated exhibit’s preview week begins this Wednesday, August 25, with a DJ preview party from 8:30-10:30.

The exhibit, which is dedicated to the exploration of the past 50 years of vinyl culture, incorporates the work of 41 artists from around the world that either used records as the medium or as the subject. From pieces like David Byrne’s original life-sized Polaroid photomontage used on a Talking Heads album cover to two pieces that were specifically commissioned for the exhibit, the list of art in the exhibition alone is enough to know it is going to completely rock without even laying eyes on it yet. More:

The Record includes rising stars in the contemporary art world (William Cordova, Robin Rhode, Dario Robleto), outsider artists (Mingering Mike), well-established artists (Jasper Johns, Ed Ruscha, Carrie Mae Weems) and artists whose work will be shown in a U.S. museum for the first time (Kevin Ei-ichi deForest, Jeroen Diepenmaat, Taiyo Kimura, Lyota Yagi).

The exhibition includes a broad range of works, such as a hybrid violin and record player, Viophonograph, a seminal work by Laurie Anderson; David Byrne’s original life-sized Polaroid photomontage used for the cover of the 1978 Talking Heads album More Songs About Buildings and Food; a monumental column of vinyl records by Cordova; and an important early work by Robleto, who transformed Billie Holiday records in an alchemic process to create hand-painted buttons. Works by Christian Marclay, who has made art with records for 30 years, include his early and rarely seen Recycled Records as well as his most recent record video, Looking for Love.

The Nasher Museum commissioned two works for The Record. Berlin-based artist Satch Hoyt created a 16-foot canoe made of red 45-rpm records with an original soundscape during a 2009 artist residency at Duke. New York artist Xaviera Simmons created photographs of the North Carolina landscape and solicited musical responses from musicians such as Mac McCaughan of Superchunk, Tunde Adebimpe of TV on the Radio and Jim James of My Morning Jacket. The original songs will be pressed onto a 12-inch record and played with her installation.

The accompanying Cover to Cover installation features 10 artists and musicians who each curated a crate of 20 albums that tell a story through the cover visuals. Visitors will peruse the crates and with headphones listen to records on record players.

Wow. And to accompany the sheer awesomeness of the exhibit, a series of programming offers everything from a Superchunk show and a talk with the curator to a BBQ/Vinyl listening party.

Full event schedule:
August 25 - Public Opening Event and DJ Party, 8:30 - 10:30 PM
September 16 - Artist Talk: Xaviera Simmons, 7 PM
September 16 - Superchunk concert following lecture, 8:30 PM
September 19 - BBQ and Vinyl Listening Party: Hosted by Xaviera Simmons, 1 - 4 PM
October 7 - Curator Talk: Trevor Schoonmaker, 7 PM
October 10 - Art with the Experts, Durham County Library, 3 PM
October 16 - WXDU Record Fair, 11 AM - 4 PM
October 21 - Record Collectors Panel Discussion, 7 PM
November 4 - Artist Talk: Ralph Lemon, 7 PM
November 21 - Family Day with artist Fatimah Tuggar, Noon - 4 PM
January 11 - Supporting Member Event with curator Trevor Schoonmaker, and artists Harrison Haynes and David McConnell, 7 PM
February 5 - Film Marathon
February 6 - Family Day, Noon to 4 PM

For more information about the exhibit, including museum hours and location, visit the Nasher Museum of Art website.