The Dwelling

ACCA”s exhibition of “The Dwelling” brings together a series of spooky works from leading contemporary artists to show their interpretation of what a dwelling can represent. It was a different exhibition to what we usually see. Twelve artist from all over the world created may different views on what a dwelling can mean,

One particular artwork that stood out to me was Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller titled “ Opera for a small room”. It was created in 2005, and it is a room that is 260 x 300 x 450 cm big. In this room, there is one main viewing point, and 3 small side views. As you look through the main viewing room, you see 2 desks, with a vintage record player, and a microphone that looks like it’s from the 1950’s. The walls and floors are all covered in vintage records and they all have the name “R.Dennehy” on them. The artist purchased these from an Op Shop, so there was always a fascination about what the man was like, and has he had such a vast collection of different styles of music, I think this artwork was an interpretation of what they think his life might have been like.

There are different coloured light bulbs surrounding the edges of the room. There are old Persian rugs on the floor, and a Campbell’s tomato tin that is acting as a lamp shade. There is a chandelier hanging from the center of the room with chains coming off the side and going into the corners in the ceiling. There is one chair next to the main table with the record players on them. Behind the main tables are loads of record/vinyl players from the 1950’s to the 1970’s. Just in front of the table is a red velvet curtain on either side, and 4 chairs facing the table, almost like a concert/opera.

The beginning of the performance the lighting in the room and the exhibition area is normal, the music sounds like an orchestra is warming up. The lights dim in the exhibition room, only 4 lights are on in the wooden room. Some nostalgic music from the 1940’s comes on; a demented and deep male voice comes on through the speakers and says:

“A man alone in a room
Turn Table records
She was walking the road
With her shoes in her hand
Where the fuck was she going?”

A few moments pass, he hums along with the female voice on the radio. Then the sound of thunder and rain comes on, the music slows down then stops. His voice comes on again:

“Animals taking over the walls
Chewing on the wires
If they start on the records I am going to have to poison them
He begins to weep
(At this point a soft female’s voice comes on and starts to sing an opera song)
Doctor….
I need to talk to a doctor”

At this point an even deeper and demonic voice comes on and tells him repeatedly to relax. Then the main character says:

“I’m disappearing”

Suddenly only the red lights are lighting up the room and “When a man loves a woman” by Percy Sledge comes on the speakers. The demonic doctor’s voice appears again, telling him to relax. The main character then says:

“Forget everything
I want to remember
Yes, I remember
I was walking down the road that night
Cows watching me in the field
Could see a train coming
Slowly towards me lighting up the trees”

There is a loud train noise, it is so loud it rocks the room, the chandelier shakes and the lights turn to a dull blue. The sound of crickets then comes on the speakers and covers up the sound and overpowers the sound of footsteps in the gravel. The man’s voice comes back on:

“The man howls at the moon”
(He howls)

The tape clicks over. The blue lights disappear, only a light shining on the tomato tin lights up, then followed by the normal lights. Suddenly a loud male voice signs a triumphant opera tune, the lights then flicker as though the power of the voice is affecting them, it then slowly dies and a soft piano tune comes on and the voice says:

“He waits in the room
Plays records over and over
Is that all you do?
Where the fuck was she going?
It was the train
Trying to beat the train
Music doesn’t really change anything
But helps him in a way he can’t understand
It’s an opera after all
Everyone understands it in the end”

The lights then dim, until you can barely see anything in the room, his voice comes back on and says:

“He picks up his guitar
Walks center stage
Audience waits
(the song then turns into a powerful rock ballad, the blue, red and yellows lights light up the room like a rock concert)
She was walking down the road
With a dazed look on her face
Fellow in the ditch
(then rather than speaking, he sings this next part)
Coppers in flames
Road kill is crawling
Wings flapping in the wind
Run through smoke
(he then goes back to speaking this part)
The truck was weaving towards me through the flame
I didn’t know what to do
She was walking down the road
Shoes in her hand
(The music then beings to climax, and get more powerful)
Smudge marks on her face
Wind blew back her hair”

The music softens, the lights in the “stage” disappears. The house lights light up the exhibition room and the wooden room, there is a roar of applause, then quiet.

I really liked this artwork, it was a deep insight into the psyche of a man who is controlled by his music and is essentially a shut in. He describes how he is fine with the rats eating his home and essentially leaving him in darkness but not if they eat his records. I then think that he relives the loss of his love interest, as he thinks he needs a doctor the room take on a dark and evil appearance as he talks about the speeding train and truck going through the flames, which suggests that she was killed, and as he howls at the moon he realizes he is a monster, He then feels guilty as I think she had a fight with him because all he does is listen to his music, and as she was leaving him, she died. So he is left to wallow in his small room, controlled by his music for the rest of his life, alone. The title of the artwork “opera for a small room” is very fitting as operas tend to tell a story, usually containing some form of tragedy, with a climatic ending. And as he says “It’s an opera after all, everyone understands in the end” I think he is trying to figure out what went wrong, trying to understand his own story.

And while we are on the subject of opera, you should check out this video clip from one of my favorite films called “Repo! The Genetic Opera”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otdH3SLNx-s