David Bernabo : Statement

 

Revisiting Transportable Scenes in US History is a three page comic, simple in text, but representative of many events in the United States’ history – events that enslaved and oppressed numerous races, ethnic groups, classes, and women in attempts to bring more power and control to the elite.  Of course, this concept can easily be extended to world history with the Catholic Church, certain governments, certain leaders.  My main concern is with the idea of the witch-hunt, the savage vs. the intelligent nation, the conscious put down of basic rights and values for power.  Although, however precise these intentions are, any physical similarities to Bill Cowher were not intentional.

The Mass is an extension of a group of graphic scores I created for an exhibition at ModernFormations Gallery in August 2007.  In that show, I investigated physical shapes as a means for extending musical ideas through structured improvisation.  The results were collected on a recording released by Sort Of Records/Abstract on Black called Graphic Scores.  The means of creating the score consisted of lines and ink shapes.  The lines easily provided structure and guided pitch, while the shapes provided ideas on timbre, volume, rhythm, etc.  In this new batch of scores, I wanted to investigate more physical properties of the score in order to reach deeper emotional suggestions for the performer.  Fire seemed like a worthy start.  Burning Mass and Awakening Mass use smoke and fire to create markings and shapes on layers of paper.  The heavy paper was burned through, scraped, and used to extinguish the flame.  Certain ideas I was thinking about were purifying and reincarnation, possibly in a spiritual sense.  Ritual Mass was a different result of the flame, the mixing of wax and ash to form different colored wax drops.  I hoped this score would provide a stronger sense of rhythm and, possibly, tone combination. 

The final score is Japan 1. This piece was recorded by a trio consisting of myself on electronics, Brandon Masterman on baritone saxophone, and Ben Harris on violin.  All of us contributed vocals.  The score itself was an attempt to create a sparser, more abstract setting on which musical ideas could lie.  I have placed a copy of the recording on my myspace page (www.myspace.com/davidbernabo) so the result can be heard.  As you will hear, it is a liberal investigation of the visual stimuli.

 

Thank you.

 

www.davidbernabo.com
www.myspace.com/davidbernabo
www.sortofrecords.com
www.abstractonblack.com

 

Revisiting ... History : 1: 2 : 3 :: The Mass :: Artist Statement