Extended Organ at Mike Kelley’s Mobile Homestead, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, November 2013. L to R: Paul McCarthy, Joe Potts, Tom Recchion, Fredrik Nilsen, Alex Stevens. | Photo: Danny Gromfin
To celebrate opening night of the 2nd Annual LA Art Book Fair tonight (Jan. 30) at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, the online art journal East of Borneo—published by CalArts School of Art—and The Box Gallery present free performances on the KCHUNG Radio Stage, including West Coast experimental noise collective The Los Angeles Free Music Society (LAFMS).
The electronic musicians in LAFMS have influenced the development of noise and avant-garde music scenes for 40 years. Original founding members Tom Recchion, Joe Potts and Fredrik Nilsen perform with their band Extended Organ, along with artist Paul McCarthy and Alex Stevens, at 7 pm.
The late artist Mike Kelley (Art MFA 78), who was a member of Extended Organ, still “contributes” to each performance as the group uses the sound recordings he created “in case he ever missed a gig.” East of Borneo notes that the band produces “a dynamic otherworldly ambiance that can be simultaneously hilarious and ominously frightening.”
The performances begin at 6 pm with an opening set by John Wiese (Art BFA 01) and Ted Byrnes both on electronics.
At 8 pm, Potts’ noise orchestra, AIRWAY, which was formed in 1977, takes the stage with 16 musicians. The performance will include sounds from “Team AIRWAY Japan,” a group of nine Japanese improvisers who have contributed recordings to be included in the performance by Potts. The live orchestra includes Ama, Ted Byrnes, Chip Chapman (Art 75), Dennis Duck, Ace Farren Ford, Juan Gomez, Joseph Hammer, Kevin Laffey, Maya, Fredrik Nilsen, Potts, Rick Potts, Recchion, Dani Tull, Vetza and Wiese.
East of Borneo’s booth (K01) at the fair includes books and artist editions, and will also sell the special reissue of LAFMS’ Light Bulb (1977-81) anthology, which was published last year. The reissue was edited by LAFMS founding member Chapman (whose CalArts ID is below).
Chip Chapman’s CalArts student ID. Chapman (left), artist Peter Cohen (right).
Chinatown-based KCHUNG Radio, which also broadcasts locally at 1630 AM, will provide live coverage of the fair from a number of special project rooms. In addition to the LAFMS performance, the KCHUNG Radio Stage will feature events throughout the weekend, including performances by CalArtians Christian Cummings (Art BFA 2005), Sean Solomon (Film/Video 12) of Moses Campbell and Yelena Zhelezov (Theater MFA 10).
The LA Art Book Fair continues through Sunday, presenting artists’ books, art catalogs, monographs, periodicals and zines exhibited by more than 250 international presses, booksellers, antiquarians, artists and independent publishers.