PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The Subliminal History of New York State is an ongoing multi-tiered project presented through performances, books, songs, and video. Carrie Dashow, working with collaborators (composers, writers, locals, historians), generates participatory multimedia performances in specific localities throughout New York. A tour funded through NYSCA and the New York State Music Fund will incorporate parts of the story, songs, and video as a traveling caravan visits community centers and local historical societies during the Summer of 2007.
The Subliminal History of New York State story begins with Roosevelt Island as UNDER ISLAND, "As Roosevelt Island gains sight through a lighthouse, first built as an illusionary fort by an insane inmate, the island now sees as well as is seen. With new vision the island develops a desire to leave the East River. Once the empty and controversial South End is developed, it does. In an alternate time of now, condensing past, present and future, it embarks on a journey up the Hudson, onto the Erie Canal, following this Empire State's (and thus the United States') route of progress. An itinerant island traveling through the forgone, short-lived industrialization of upstate, eventually finding itself in the shallow dead waters of Lake Erie, known for its torrential waterspouts."
UNDER ISLAND is the story of a living land with its own agency that speaks through us and the built structures atop it. It is a land sanctioned by Manhattan, gutted by progress, yet with tiny remains of growing wildlife: the awaiting South End.
Ms. Dashow has translated her original discoveries of Roosevelt Island into a series of 21 poems.
From these poems, composer Jesse Pearlman Karlsberg created original Shape Note songs, to be sung by participating audiences with an intermix of stories and visuals at performances.
Beginning as an Artist in Residence at Woman’s Studio Workshop, Carrie created UNDER ISLAND, the land revolts, a small edition Artist Book (edition of 5). The 5 handmade books are silkscreened by the artist, the cover printed on canvas with letterpress embossed title. The book includes drawings, historical collages, and original shape note compositions along with a cd of 11 of the songs sung by shape note practitioners in a defunct cement mine in Rosendale New York (The Widow Jane Mine: next stop of the island as it leaves New York.)
UNDER ISLAND, The Book - is on view through January 19th, 2007 at GiganticArtSpace, 59 Franklin Street, NYC. The book will be performed as a participatory story and singing event at the gallery on January 11th, 7:30 pm. This includes a shape note singing school earlier in the day from 5 –7 pm.
Shape note singing is a community singing tradition, with a unique pedagogical system for sight reading music. Shape note singing is sung in a square with local practitioners conducting chosen songs from the center, it does not require an audience. Once popular in upstate New York in the early 1800s, itinerant singing masters would tour upstate (and New Englans) writing songs and conducting workshops concluding with the sale of tunebooks. Given its participatory nature and historical relevance it has become a useful vehicle to tell the story of New York.
The cd has also been produced separately as an artist cd with an edition of 100, this includes a small booklet and silkscreened cover.
Subliminal history gathers information from history, myth, feeling, intuition, assumption, gossip, and geology. It both validates interpretation and art as ways of telling history and rekindles a deep connection to place. The Subliminal History of New York State is an attempt to feel another, almost untouchable truth, buried under the guise of fact.
Beginning in 2004, Ms. Dashow worked with Roosevelt Island historian, Judy Berdy trying to connect with and understand this very strangely energized place. Through this, and weekly brainstorming sessions with three island teenagers and writer/musician Sxip Shirey, an unbelievable story emerged. The story was performed as a slide show lecture on the island and in a courtyard installation, with Matt Bua and Jesse Bercowetz at PS1/MOMA, as part of Grizedale Arts Romantic Detachment show in October of 2004. It was performed and sung as shape note songs at the Contemporary Artist Center in North Adams with Jesse Pearlman Karlsberg in November of 2005.
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carrie@dashow.net
http://www.dashow.net
http://www.subliminalstate.org
THE BOOK: