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Art in Space
Feb. 15th at 8PM
An evening of works by Art Jarvinen, the last frontiersman
Featuring Jarvinen's Physical Poetry pieces:
Lint
Illegal Music
Busdriver
Putting to the Test
Action Closet
Pop Tarts
Followed by a set by Baghdad Batteries
with Lewis Keller
The music of The Baghdad Batteries is a fascinating combination of rich sonorities, complex textures and
engaging structures, the result of the intersection and interaction of low and high technologies. Arthur
Jarvinen's work has always been decidedly low-tech, and he remains committed to that path. His role in
this project is largely that of signal provider, drawing on the relatively simple resources of Indian
sruti box, Geiger counter, hand-made shortwave radios, percussive implements, and spoken word. Lewis
Keller's expertise, on the other hand, extends to laptop performance, Max/MSP, robotics, circuit bending,
and sound detection. These resources, subjected to the compositional and improvisational sensibilities of
Jarvinen and Keller make for a one-of-a-kind audio entertainment experience.
The so-called "Baghdad Batteries" for which the group is named are ancient artifacts discovered in Iraq
in 1936 that are undoubtedly primitive galvanic cells, but whose practical application remains a mystery.
Arthur Jarvinen
Arthur Jarvinen (b.1956) is a familiar figure in the contemporary music community, having been a featured
composer and performer on prominent concerts, festivals and broadcasts internationally for well over two decades.
He was a founding and longtime member of the acclaimed California E.A.R. Unit and has led several of his own bands
and ensembles of various kinds. His musical activities both as composer and performer range from contemporary
chamber and experimental music to songwriting, surf music, electronics, improvisation and multimedia, and his
creative output includes visual art, word works, and experimental theater.
Lewis Keller
Lewis Keller is a sound artist based in Los Angeles. He is interested in the perception of time, timbre and
space and exploring how technology fits into and fights against life. Lewis builds instruments from found objects,
electronics and computer code. He also composes and performs for and with people, computers and spaces.
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