La Monte Young & Dream House, 1990-2012

OLLECTION of the Lyon Museum of Contemporary Art

PreSS reLeaSe

La Monte Young & Marian ZaZeeLa, Dream House, 1990 Variable dimensions: 500 square metres 8th Biennale de Lyon (2005), L’Expérience de la durée, la Sucrière 28.09 > © photo Blaise Adilon 30.12.2012 this exhibition is dedicated to the memory of Daniel Caux (1940–2008)

Press visit Wednesday, September 26 2012 (afternoon)

Preview Thursday, September 27 2012 at 6.30 pm opening Hours Wednesday - Sunday, from 11 am to 6 pm

Press Contacts Muriel Jaby / Élise Vion-Delphin T +33 (0)4 72 69 17 05 / 25 [email protected] High resolution pictures (300 dpi) are available on request.

Lyon Museum of Contemporary Art Cité internationale 81 quai Charles de Gaulle 69006 LYON France T +33 (0) 4 72 69 17 17 F +33 (0) 4 72 69 17 00 www.mac-lyon.com La Monte Young & Marian Zazeela Dream House, 1990-2012

28.09 > 30.12.2012

This exhibition is dedicated to the memory of Daniel Caux (1940 – 2008) LthAe ex MhibitionONTE YOUNG

A m y t h i c a l w o r k , t h e Dr e a m Ho u s e i s a s o u n d a n d l i g h t “Listening to a Drift Study by La Monte Young is i n s t a l l a t i o n c r e a t e d b y La Mo n t e Yo u n g , i n v e n t o r an experience of one of the most radical strands of Mo f t h e c o nARIAN c e p t o f e t e r n a l m u s i c . Th e m u s i c m o v e s t h e ZminimalistA musicZ in that EEit consists of listeningL toA two h a n g i n g m o b i l e s , c r e a t e d b y m a r i a n z a z e e l a , i n a b a r e l y continuous electronic sine waves, that have been fastidiously chosen. Two waves that have been tuned perceptible w a y . Fo r t h e l i s t e n e r , t h e e x p e r i e n c e i s according to the other based on the principle of ‘just l i t e r a l l y a b o u t i m m e r g i n g o n e s e l f i n s o u n d , o b s e r v i n g intonation’, in other words, in a perfectly regular i t s n u a n c e s . Th i s i s a n e x p e r i e n c e c o n d u c i v e t o periodic relationship without any beat. Intended to be r e f l e c t i o n , w h e r e u p o n t h e l i s t e n e r i s a s a t t e n t i v e t o listened to in an enclosed space in which one is invited h i s /h e r i n n e r b e i n g a s h e /s h e i s t o t h e m u s i c . to move about—sometimes even a mere movement Wi t h i n t h i s 500 m2 s p a c e , b a t h e d i n l i g h t a n d m u s i c , of the head may suffice—this Drift Study will literally t h e v i s i to r c a n e n j o y u n i q u e s e n s a t i o n s a n d a n u n u s u a l follow us in our movements and is significantly De x p e r i e n cREA e o f d u r a t i o n : e v e r y o n e i s Mi nv i te d t o f i n d Ht h e i r transformed:OU a changeS in textureE according to the sound waves and even sometimes, a radical change in p l a c e i n t h e w o r k b y s i t t i n g , o r s t r o l l i n g a t t h e i r o w n pitch. This is the phenomenon of so-called ‘standing p a c e , a p p r e c i a t i n g t h e s o u n d v a r i a t i o n s p r o v o k e d b y waves’, in a closed environment, low parts of the sound t h e i r o w n m o v e m e n t s , h o w e v e r m i n i m a l t h e s e m a y b e . wave are reinforced and high parts are reduced in certain places. Inversely, in other places the high parts For La Monte Young, every sound can be music as of the sound wave replace the low parts.”2 long as the existence of sound is conceivable. Founder 2. Daniel Caux, « La Durée dans les musiques minimalistes américaines : perception et effets psycho-acoustiques » (Time in American minimalist music : perception and of the American minimalist musical movement and psycho-acoustic effects), in L’Expérience de la durée, a collective under the artistic above all, an exceptional musician, he is known for his direction of Gérard Wormser and Thierry Raspail, Sens Public Editions, 2006. 28.09interest in sustained notes and for his >quest for just intonation. Drift Studies he has created since 1966 are Produced and directed by Jacqueline Caux, the musical pieces that marry these two aspects documentary Prism’s Colors, Mechanics of Time (96 minutes, 2009) which investigates the musical Avant- 30.12.2012In 1998, macLYON invited Marian and La Monte to expose Garde that has begun in the 1960s and is continuing one of their Dream House sets (then belonging to the in this early 21st century, is screened in the museum’s FNAC) in a final version in Lyon, making use of the 500 conference room throughout the exhibition. m2 space on the museum’s third floor. The Lyon Dream House, as it is referred to by the artists, encompasses— according to Marian’s calculations, “a volume of 101,598 cubed feet of light”. It’s the biggest installation after / We sang, worked, the Harrison Street Building Dream House in New York. But “the Lyon house takes up 6,195 square feet whereas the New York one only takes up 4,900”1, she adds. and lived in this Following this exhibition, at the request of the artists and in accordance with the FNAC, the work was deposited harmonically to the Lyon Museum of Contemporary Art “to the space that belongs to it”, according to La Monte Young. tuned acoustical The piece entered the museum’s collection, under the inventory number 2007.12.5. The Lyon Dream House, environment and combining sound, space and light, contains all of the terms or concepts common to Marian and La Monte’s studied its effects collaborative work. 1. Marian Zazeela, Drawings, Kunst im Regenbodenstadl, 2000, p. 45; exhibition at the Lyon Museum of Contemporary Art, Musiques en Scène Festival, 12 February – 11 April 1999. on ourselves and the varied groups of people who were invited to spend time with the frequencies./ —La Monte Young et Marian Zazeela

Continuous Sound and Light Environments, 1996/2004.

La Monte YOUNG & Marian ZAZEELA, Dream House, 1990 Variable dimensions: 500 square metres 8th Biennale de Lyon (2005), L’Expérience de la durée, la Sucrière © photo Blaise Adilon 3 LthAe ly MonONTE dream hou YsOUNGe / “Th e c o n c e p t o f t h e Dr e a m Ho u s e i s a n i d e a t h a t d e v e l o p e d f r o m m y p i e c e Th e Fo u r Dr e a m s o f Ch i n a w h i c h I c o m p o s e d i n 1962 a n d w h i c h c o n t a i n s t h e c o n c e p t o f a n i n f i n i te p i e c e o f m u s i c . (…) Wh e n I r e a l i z e d t h a t a m u s i c a l p i e c e c o u l d p e r m a n e n t l y d e v e l o p a n d e v o l v e i f i t c o u l d h a v e a p e r m a n e n t p l a c e w h e r e m u s i c i a n s c o u l d Mp l a y e v e r yARIAN d a y , I c a m e u p w i t h t h e i d e a o f t h e Dr e a m Ho uZ s e : a b u iA l d i n g w h eZ r e m u s i c iEEa n s l i v e a n d w o rL k , w i t h aA b i g s p a c e f o r p e r f o r m a n c e s a n d e n o u g h m u s i c i a n s s o t h a t t h e r e i s a l w a y s s o m e p e o p l e p l a y i n g (…) In 1966, w h e n I s t a r t e d experimenting w i t h e l e c t r o n i c m u s i c —m y g r o u p Th e Th e a t r e o f Et e r n a l Mu s i c h a d b e e n i n e x i s t e n c e f o r a f e w y e a r s a t t h a t s t a g e —I b e g a n t o r e a l i z e t h a t w o r k i n g w i t h m u s i c i a n s w a s v e r y e x p e n s i v e . I t h e r e f o r e d e v e l o p e d t h e i d e a o f e l e c t r o n i c s o u n d s h e l d o v e r a l o n g p e r i o d o f t i m e , s o t h a t s i n c e t h e n , I c o m b i n e l i v e a n d e l e c t r o n i c m u s i c .” / —La Mo n t e Yo u n g

1966 La Monte Young creates the first Drift Study. 1998 The Lyon Museum of Contemporary Art invites DREAM HMarianOU and La Monte Sto exposeE one of their Dream House sets (the Lyon Dream House as it is referred 1968 Marian Zazeela creates her first coloured light to by the artists), then belonging to the FNAC, in a environments, which she calls Light. These are large final version, making use of the 500 2m space on the scale, site-specific pieces, in which coloured lights are museum’s third floor. focused on hanging mobiles creating a luminous field with residual shadows. 2004 The Lyon Dream House is exhibited at the August 1970 The first experience of “ecstatic Pompidou Centre, as part of the Sons & Lumières 28.09elevation” (), as Young and> Zazeela exhibition. practice it, is held at the Stockholm Moderna Museet, while the light show Ornamental Lightyears Tracery (a 2005 For the 8th Biennale de Lyon, La Monte Young projection of slides by Marian, based on a slide series creates a new version of the Lyon Dream House dating from 1964) is presented along with Young’s entitled: Dream House Sound and Light Environment 30.12.2012Drift Study. This is the predecessor to the permanent a time installation measured by a setting of continuous light and sound installation, the Dream House. frequencies in sound and light...

1975 The Dia Foundation allows La Monte and Marian 2007 Ownership of the Dream House changes to develop their “long term installation project” over hands. It is now the property of the macLYON entered a period of ten years. From this, the six-year Dream into the museum’s collection under inventory number House (1979 – 1985) is born and is open to the public 2007.12.5. on Harrison Street (New York), in a former import- export warehouse. March 2012 The work is loaned to and exhibited at the ZKM (Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie) 1989-1990 For one year, La Monte Young and at Karlsruhe as part of the exhibition, Sound Art. Marian Zazeela present The Romantic Symmetry at the Sound as a Medium of Art. Dia Foundation. The Romantic Symmetry (over a 60 cycle base) in Prime Time from 112 to 144 with 119/Time Light Symmetry is performed with the participation of The Big Band, reformed* and consisting of 23 members for the event. *The Theatre of Eternal Music was a collective originally established by La Monte Young in 1962, which disbanded in 1966.

1990 The Donguy Gallery in Paris exhibits a Dream House. The FNAC (French National Fund for Contemporary Art) purchases this piece and delivers the work to the Marseille Museum. The work is composed of a Drift Study by La Monte Young; The Prime Time Twins in the Ranges 448 to 576, 224 to 288, 112 to 144, 56 to 72, 28 to 36, with the Ranges Limits 576, 448, 224, 144, 56, 28, 1990 and the light environment Primary Light, the Untitled M/B, 1989, the second neon Dream House Variation II, 1990 and Magenta Day/Magenta Night, 1990 by Marian Zazeela.

October 1993 The two artists create a seven- La Monte YOUNG & Marian ZAZEELA, Dream House, 1990 year sound and light environment for the MELA Variable dimensions: 500 square metres 8th Biennale de Lyon (2005), L’Expérience de la durée, la Sucrière Foundation: The Dream House: Seven Years of Sound © photo Blaise Adilon and Light. 4 LthAe ly MonONTE dream hou YsOUNGe MARIAN ZAZEELA DREAM HOUSE 28.09 >

/ “We w a n t e d t o c r e a t e a w o r k w h e r e 30.12.2012m u s i c c o u l d b e p l a y e d continuously . Th e r e f o r e , m u s i c w o u l d b e c o m e a v e r i t a b l e l i v i n g o r g a n i s m , p o s s e s s i n g i t s o w n l i f e a n d t r a d i t i o n . In s e p t e m b e r 1966, Ma r i a n d i s c o v e r e d t h e p o w e r o f c o l o u r e d s h a d o w s b y p r o j e c t i n g l i g h t o n t o s c u l p t u r a l f o r m s . Si n c e t h e n , t h i s h a s b e c o m e h e r p r e f e r r e d a r t f o r m . Fa i r l y q u i c k l y I s t a r t e d t o u s e s i n e w a v e o s c i l l a t o r s , oscilloscopes , a m p l i f i e r s a n d l o u d -s p e a k e r s t o p r o d u c e c o n t i n u o u s s o u n d environments .” / —La Mo n t e Yo u n g

La Monte YOUNG & Marian ZAZEELA, Details from Dream House, 1990. Variable dimensions: 500 square metres 8th Biennale de Lyon (2005), L’Expérience de la durée, la Sucrière © photo Blaise Adilon

5 LBIOGRAA MPHONTEIES YOUNG La Monte Young was born in 1935 in Bern (United Marian Zazeela, was born on 15 April 1940 in States) and is an American composer and artist, the Bronx, New York and is an American visual artist, often associated with the minimalist music movement painter and musician whose work can be classified as that he helped create, particularly with his 1958 minimalist. McompositionARIAN . ZAZEELA In 1965, she created Ornamental Lightyears Tracery After two years spent at Berkeley and a stay in New which was subsequently displayed at the Museum York, he travelled to Europe in 1959 and participated of Modern Art (New York), the Albright-Knox Art in the Darmstadt Summer School (Germany). He Gallery (New York), the Maeght Foundation (Saint- followed the composition class taught by Karlheinz Paul de Vence), the Moderna Musset (Stockholm), the Stockhausen, whom he greatly admired. Thanks to Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), 5 the presence of David Tudor, he discovered the (), Haus der Kunst (Munich) and at the Dia music of . In a 1966 interview with Richard Foundation (New York). DKostelanetz,REA La Monte Young evokedM the influence H of OUSE Cage in the following two ways: the use of random numbers and the presentation of certain musical In 1967, the yogi Chambat Nager initiated Marian events, traditionally considered as semi or non- Zazeela and La Monte Young in the Pandit musical, in the form of a classical concert. At this vocal technique, of which they became disciples. In stage, he had already participated in the adventure 1970, they organized for Chambat Nager to visit the of continuous or sustained sound having composed States, thereby introducing this classical form of song his Trio for Strings the previous year, a composition from Northern India to the West. noteworthy for its notes held over a duration of several minutes. He sought new sounds and left a large place 28.09to chance in works such as Poem for Chairs,> Tables, Benches, Etc., 1959: the performers of this piece push and drag furniture over the floor over a period of time that was randomly determined. Once he returned to 30.12.2012the States, La Monte Young settled in New York. In 1959 and 1960, La Monte Young (along with ) was the musical director of Anna Halprin San Francisco Dancers’ Workshop (Anna Halprin was the focus of an exhibition at the macLYON, France in 2006). In the United States, Halprin used Young’s Trio for Strings as the soundtrack to a dance piece entitled Birds of America or Gardens without Walls, which first premiered on 29 November 1960 in San Francisco.

In 1960, Young organized a first series of concerts in ’s loft and in 1961 participated in the parties or gatherings organized by George Maciunas in his New York gallery. The impetus was given to Fluxus, a movement that was strongly influenced by John Cage where creations resembled veritable happenings bringing together different artistic practices. The movement’s activities spread rapidly throughout Europe and Japan and were supported by artists such as , Yoko Ono, Hal Hansen, The Living Theatre, Henry Flynt, Walter De Maria, Nam June Paik, etc.

In 1962, against such a background of experimentation and multidisciplinary cross-fertilization, La Monte Young founded a collective; The Theatre of Eternal Music, which welcomed various key figures of minimalist music throughout its existence. Occasional participants included Terry Jennings, Dennis Johnson, La Monte YOUNG & Marian ZAZEELA Exhibition Musiques en scène 1999, macLYO N Terry Riley, whereas regular participants were © photo Blaise Adilon percussionist Angus Maclise, pianist and violist , Billy Linich, violinist and especially artist Marian Zazeela, who would become La Monte Young’s companion. The collective recreated itself under various, ephemeral forms throughout the years before finally disbanding in 1966. Young continued to produce music alone or with Marian Zazeela. 6 VISITOR LINAFOR MMATIONONTE YOUNG MARIAN ZAZEELA Exhibition Access Curator: Thierry Raspail, Director of macLYON By car: Head of project: Hervé Percebois - along “Quai Charles de Gaulle”, follow “Cité Exhibition assistant: Olivia Gaultier Internationale”, carparks Registrar: Gaëlle Philippe By bus, stop Musée d’art contemporain: - Line C1, Gare Part-Dieu/Cuire - Line C4 Jean Macé/Cité internationale change with metro Foch line A or metro Saxe-Gambetta lines B et D Press contacts DREAM H- LineOU C5, Bellecour -Terreaux/Rillieux-VanciaSE Muriel Jaby / Élise Vion-Delphin By bike: T +33 (0)4 72 69 17 05 / 25 - Several Velo’V stations are located around the Museum. [email protected]

Admission Full rate : 6 euros* Address Concessions : 4 euros* Free for visitors under 18 Musée d’art contemporain de Lyon * subject to modification Cité internationale 28.0981 quai Charles de Gaulle > 69006 LYON France + COMPLETE PROGRAM OF GUIDED T +33 (0)4 72 69 17 17 TOURS: FOR ADULTS, IN FAMILY, IN ONE 30.12.2012F +33 (0)4 72 69 17 00 HOUR... [email protected] www.mac-lyon.com

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CAGE’S SATIE: /CRITICS SAY THAT COMPOSITION FOR ALONGSIDE BRIAN ENO MUSEUM GEORGE BRECHT AND , I AM RICHARD BUCKMINSTER ONE OF THE FATHERS FULLER OF TECHNO MUSIC. THEY ARE PROBABLY RIGHT. / —la monte young