A Million Keys

Jeremy Boyle at Hudson Franklin

I went to Chelsea last week to check out Jeremy Boyle’s new solo exhibition at Hudson Franklin. I first became intrigued by his work after reading about his self-playing band on VVORK. His current show proposes to explore “the theme of circulation through pattern and recognition.” Coincidentally, Boyle was present in the gallery when I arrived, and he was on hand to discuss the work with me.


(self-playing) guitar (2008)

The guitar component of Boyle’s self playing band, pictured above, was one of the works included. Ten MIDI compositions, looped automatically, control the pneumatics which play the guitar.

The project is similar to the sound machines I mentioned in the blog a few weeks ago. Both scenarios use MIDI, a format which is often considered cold, to generate an organic sound. I was particularly impressed by the raw mechanics of the guitar- the exposed wires and tubes. Easily the most active work in the show- I thought it was interesting that he made its anatomy such a central focus. It goes against the historical course of design for consumer-oriented electronics, which is so intent on shielding and obstructing the interworkings of machines from view.


head of guitar


base of guitar

In distinct contrast to (self-playing) guitar, the wiring for Boyle’s handmade speaker sculptures were hidden almost entirely from view.


White Noise (2008)


Brown Noise (2007)

Set up as piles in three corners of the gallery, the color of the speakers correspond to the type of sound amplified- white speakers for white noise and brown speakers for brown noise. For each set, only about half the speakers emit sound, so the volume is surprising low in relation to their actual size. I found the formal identification of sound with color novel- as “white noise” and “brown noise” are rarely explicitly visualized as such. While the exhibition also included video and drawing, I felt it was Boyle’s maneuvering- between the expected materiality of the sound-producing object and the sound itself- to be the most effective articulation of the concept of circulation in the show.