Edited with text by Adrienne Edwards. Foreword by Olga Viso. Text by Philip Bither, Okwui Enwezor, Danielle Jackson, Alicia Hall Moran, George E. Lewis, Glenn Ligon.
“Jason Moran [is] shaping up to be the most provocative thinker in current jazz.” —Rolling Stone
This is the first in-depth publication to investigate the practice of pianist, composer and visual artist Jason Moran, whose work bridges the fields of visual arts and performing arts. As a “torchbearer for jazz,” Moran challenges traditional forms of musical composition; his experimental works merge object and sound, underscoring the theatricality of both mediums. Moran—who often collaborates with prominent visual artists such Joan Jonas, Stan Douglas, Lorna Simpson and Glenn Ligon—pushes beyond the conventions of sculpture and the concert stage while continuing to embrace the essential tenets of jazz and improvisation.
This volume, published in conjunction with the Walker Art Center’s 2018 exhibition, considers the artist’s practice and his collaborative works as interdisciplinary investigations that further the fields of experimental jazz and visual art. It features essays by curators, artists, musicians and art historians, plus an interview and photo essay by Moran. These are supplemented by sections documenting the creation of Moran’s mixed-media “set sculptures” including STAGED: Savoy Ballroom 1, STAGED: Three Deuces (both 2015) and STAGED: Slugs (2018). This is an essential volume for anyone interested in the intersection of contemporary art and music.
Jason Moran was born in Houston, Texas, in 1975, and received a BM from the Manhattan School of Music in 1997. He joined the faculty of the New England Conservatory in 2010. In 2014, was named artistic director for jazz at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. He was a 2015 Grammy nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Album for ALL RISE: A Joyful Elegy for Fats Waller, and he composed his first feature film score for Selma (2014), directed by Ava DuVernay.
Featured image is reproduced from 'Jason Moran.'
PRAISE AND REVIEWS
Bookforum
Albert Mobilo
He explores the paradox of presence and absence: The resulting images appear abstract, ghostly, even as they confirm the physical act of producing sound.
STATUS: Out of stock
Temporarily out of stock pending additional inventory.
To have and to hold this exceptional monograph is to experience a deeply satisfying yet suitably challenging immersion in MacArthur “genius” Jason Moran’s interdisciplinary practice. Best known as a jazz composer and pianist of the highest order, Moran is also an excellent visual artist, and this exhibition catalog/artist’s book from the Walker Art Center provides for an in-depth study of the musician, the artist and the human in one. Reminiscent of an intuitively designed scrapbook, its pages are filled with beautiful color and black-and-white photographs of Moran’s works, his personal inspirations, and images of the artist in the process of creating. Having collaborated in the visual arts alone with such icons as Joan Jonas, Lorna Simpson, Theaster Gates, Kara Walker and Adam Pendleton, among many others, the scope of Moran’s influence and experience transcends the bounds of any particular artistic discipline. Featured here, “Run 2” (2016) is from a series of drawings for which Moran taped paper over his piano keys and played with charcoal-coated fingers. continue to blog
FORMAT: Pbk, 8 x 10 in. / 272 pgs / 75 color / 30 b&w. LIST PRICE: U.S. $40.00 LIST PRICE: CANADA $54 GBP £35.00 ISBN: 9781935963172 PUBLISHER: Walker Art Center AVAILABLE: 10/23/2018 DISTRIBUTION: D.A.P. RETAILER DISC: TRADE PUBLISHING STATUS: Active AVAILABILITY: Out of stock TERRITORY: WORLD
Published by Walker Art Center. Edited with text by Adrienne Edwards. Foreword by Olga Viso. Text by Philip Bither, Okwui Enwezor, Danielle Jackson, Alicia Hall Moran, George E. Lewis, Glenn Ligon.
“Jason Moran [is] shaping up to be the most provocative thinker in current jazz.” —Rolling Stone
This is the first in-depth publication to investigate the practice of pianist, composer and visual artist Jason Moran, whose work bridges the fields of visual arts and performing arts. As a “torchbearer for jazz,” Moran challenges traditional forms of musical composition; his experimental works merge object and sound, underscoring the theatricality of both mediums. Moran—who often collaborates with prominent visual artists such Joan Jonas, Stan Douglas, Lorna Simpson and Glenn Ligon—pushes beyond the conventions of sculpture and the concert stage while continuing to embrace the essential tenets of jazz and improvisation.
This volume, published in conjunction with the Walker Art Center’s 2018 exhibition, considers the artist’s practice and his collaborative works as interdisciplinary investigations that further the fields of experimental jazz and visual art. It features essays by curators, artists, musicians and art historians, plus an interview and photo essay by Moran. These are supplemented by sections documenting the creation of Moran’s mixed-media “set sculptures” including STAGED: Savoy Ballroom 1, STAGED: Three Deuces (both 2015) and STAGED: Slugs (2018). This is an essential volume for anyone interested in the intersection of contemporary art and music.
Jason Moran was born in Houston, Texas, in 1975, and received a BM from the Manhattan School of Music in 1997. He joined the faculty of the New England Conservatory in 2010. In 2014, was named artistic director for jazz at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. He was a 2015 Grammy nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Album for ALL RISE: A Joyful Elegy for Fats Waller, and he composed his first feature film score for Selma (2014), directed by Ava DuVernay.
