Jessica Brennan Project 3

 For my third and final piece, I chose these Blue Amerbol tubes. Edison patented in order to compete with other cylindrical records in the early 20th century. These tubes were marketed as indestructible, compared to their black wax counterparts that would shatter after a couple of uses. Their cores are made from plaster and the outside coating is made of celluloid which is a plastic derived from plants. These tubes typically had popular songs of the time but special editions would have instructions for all sorts of household hobbies or music advertized as "cultured" like operas and orchestral arrangments. The length of a song on these records could be between 2 minutes or 4 and a half. Even though these tubes are virtually indestructible, their sound quality is horrendous compared to the black wax cylinders. they were only produced between the years 1912 and 1929 due to the competition and popularity of flat records and disks. 

My first idea is to create an almost visual representation of the sound quality of these tubes. The vertical tube represents how music is "captured" onto the celluloid tubes from being a pure sound that is then made physical. I was thinking that this piece would be 13" inches tall in height and I wanted to try to stiffen some sheer fabric in this undulating form mimicking a fluid. I would want to hand dye the gradient into it first before constructing this form. Underneath the two tubes I would put a series of black fibers almost like a puddle underneath to represent how some essence of the music is lost in the recording. Finally, I want to construct a part of a phonograph out of reused and found fabrics, sheet music, etc. I want this piece to be incomplete and only reference the old technology for listening to these records. I think the best approach would be to quilt my pieces together and then cut out pattern pieces and use boning for the seams and structure. I can also starch the fabric between each rib. The pieces that would make up my phonograph shape would only be 7" in length. 

My inspirations include Lee Bontcou and her style of re-using canvas and copper wire to create a rough-hewn aesthetic. I also was looking at the use of boning from the artist Elaine Louie in the slide show

Lee Bontecou, Untitled, 1966