Abstracts
Abstract
This article examines the complex affects of I am the Medium, a vinyl record artwork and sound installation produced by Georgina Starr, a London-based visual artist affiliated with the second wave of Young British Artists (ybas). This project was exhibited at the Le Confort Moderne in Poitiers, France in 2010. Starr’s limited- edition lp features recordings made during séances in which she participated over the period of a year. Formally, the record is extraordinary in that it is structured in the form of locked grooves, rather than the spiral continuum of conventional vinyl recordings. Each discrete track consists of a 1.8 second phrase that repeats, creating a mantra-like incantation that resonates in the gallery atmosphere. Much in the same way that sound vibrations are captured and replayed on vinyl records, the etheric signatures of spirit entities manifest through mediumistic channeling. Issues of mediumship raised by this work will be situated in relation to Starr’s sound oeuvre, particularly her projects that have deployed paranormal methodologies.
Keywords:
- artist’s records,
- locked grooves,
- paranormal affect,
- Spiritualism,
- Georgina Starr
Résumé
Cet article examine les affects complexes de I am the Medium, une oeuvre d’art et installation sonore sur disque vinyle produite par Georgina Starr, une artiste visuelle londonienne affiliée à la deuxième vague des Young British Artists (ybas). Ce projet a été exposé au Confort Moderne de Poitiers, en France, en 2010. Le disque en édition limitée de Starr présente des enregistrements réalisés lors de séances auxquelles elle a participé pendant un an. Sur le plan formel, le disque est extraordinaire en ce sens qu’il est structuré sous la forme de sillons fermés, plutôt que sous la forme du continuum en spirale des enregistrements vinyles conventionnels. Chaque piste distincte consiste en une phrase de 1,8 secondes qui se répète, créant une incantation semblable à un mantra qui résonne dans l’atmosphère de la galerie. De la même manière que les vibrations sonores sont capturées et rejouées sur des disques vinyles, les signatures éthériques des entités spirituelles se manifestent par la canalisation médiumnique. Les questions de médiumnité soulevées par cette oeuvre seront mises en relation avec l’oeuvre sonore de Starr, en particulier ses projets qui ont usé de méthodologies paranormales.
Mots-clés :
- disques d’art,
- affect paranormal,
- sillons fermés,
- spiritisme,
- Georgina Starr
Appendices
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