“In A Star Orbit”
(CandyStations One, Two, Threemix)
Deborah Johnson
InstallationSeptember 3 - October 10, 2009
Remixes:
“In A Star Orbit” (Magic Feather, Catch and Release Remix)
“In A Star Orbit” (Noel Kupersmith, Hoo Hoo Remix)
“In A Star Orbit” (Kate Simko, Breathless Remix)
—Song Written and Performed by Rebecca Gates
AC Institute is pleased to present Deborah Johnson’s music video installation in collaboration with Rebecca Gates (formerly of The Spinanes).
By trade, Johnson designs live visual accompaniment for musicians, using a combination of film, video and animation to transform her collaborator’s music into the visual realm. The visuals combine representational imagery, generative animation and patterns ranging from the literal to the emotive and abstract, all the while paying special attention to the narrative of the song and how it unfolds. Using real-time video software, she performs her compositions live with the band, at times projecting onto multiple or three-dimensional surfaces.
For “In A Star Orbit” (CandyStations One, Two, Threemix), Johnson takes three remixes of her favorite original song, “In A Star Orbit”, from Gates’ newly released set of remixes The Ruby Series, and creates unique music videos for each. Projecting the videos consecutively onto three suspended sounding balloons, she borrows from a childhood memory of constructing makeshift universes for her parents (a roll of scotch tape hanging from the ceiling representing Saturn, et cetera). Utilitarian and personal objects of varying size, shape, color and reflectivity orbit each balloon and help to concoct this world in which the videos can exist. These objects occasionally intercept the projections, catching light and casting shadows.
The installation reveals a small cosmos created through the relationship among all of its constellate parts: Johnson’s distinct visuals; the original musician and her song; and the remixers, who together explore this range of interpretation.
About the Artist
Deborah Johnson, aka CandyStations, is a multi-disciplinary artist and designer based in Brooklyn. She primarily designs and performs live visual projections, working with groups such as Sufjan Stevens, Wilco, Calexico, M. Ward and Lambchop, in such venues as Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Fillmore, The Ryman and Wiener Konzerthaus. She has exhibited worldwide in group and solo shows, has screened music videos at several film festivals, designs projections for special events and performs either as a solo VJ or with other artists and musicians. Deborah Johnson has been on faculty at Brooklyn College, the International Academy of Art and Design in Chicago and is currently a Visiting Professor at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.