Loud Color Luminous Sound
Please find descriptions of the works featured in the video below this statement from the curator.
MEMO:
“Loud color” and “luminous sound” were the phrases used by the exploration team to describe the creations they found in the abandoned “schokolade room” of the München Compound during their last excursion to timethread “B” in early 1971.
In all known timethreads, the schokolade room was the only part of the München Compound where some lucky few visitors might have been invited to touch, taste, and play.
But, during the exploration team’s first visit to timethread B in 1969, they did not find the colorful and inviting sugar-filled room they expected. Instead they found a rusted-out boat toppled over in a dried up ravine and skeleton-like trees bearing rotted and desiccated “fruit”. This devastation, not just of The Compound, but of the world in timethread B, had apparently been the result of a nuclear electromagnetic pulse event just prior to their visit.
The quarters of the Owner of the Compound remained undisturbed. The room appeared to have been abandoned in a hurry, with a piano roll in the player-piano and a record on the Victoriola, the needle still resting on the stationary black disk. All but two coat hooks held the Owner’s vibrantly colored clothing and foppish accessories. Among these accessories were a large number of umbrellas and parasols.
The Compound was nearly self sustaining. Features included a warehouse of building maintenance supplies, a solar array cleverly disguised as red roof tiles which powered an enclosed ventilation system and a deep well wasser pump, food stores (though of limited nutritional value), and a computer room where the EMP event rendered most of the machines useless.
To the relief and disbelief of the exploration team, no bodies, human or otherwise, were discovered in the Compound. The exploration team theorized that the inhabitants of the Compound escaped to a bunker at the time of the EMP. Unexplained is why the Owner did not subsequently return to the Compound, since it may have been the safest place in the area, post-apocalypse.
We know that in most timethreads where the Compound existed, the Owner almost never went outside, but when he did, he carried an umbrella. In the documentary (in my timethread “D”) it is surmised that umbrellas were used to shade the bearer’s pale skin and to hide the reclusive man from onlookers. In the fictional movie (timethread “F”), the Owner sports a hat and a walking stick as his only accessories, but those could be considered functionally analogous to a long-handled umbrella.
At the time of the exploration team’s initial visit, jumping threads was less well documented and regulated than now, but it is known that multiple teams from different organizations visited the München Compound or its counterparts on parallel timethreads from 1969-1971. Rumors had been spreading that it was a place that was too fantastical to be real, enticing time scientists to explore it. We now know that such anomalies are an indicator that crossover between timethreads may have caused a feedback loop that distorted subsequent events. The phrase “truth is stranger than fiction” is believed to have been brought into common usage as a way to explain away the unusual or unbelievable things that happen or exist in our worlds as a result of a timethread crossover feedback loop.
During the exploration team’s second and final visit to the Compound they found, scattered throughout the dark, dead landscape, assemblages of items apparently scavenged from throughout the München Compound. They found the Owner’s possessions pilfered and the computer room largely dismantled, with wires spewing from the recesses behind metal panels, whose formerly blinking lights now looked like gouged-out robot eyes.
Some uninvited dweller had transformed the place into a werkspace for creating brightly colored, cacophonic assemblages. Finding their way into the Compound was either a life-saving piece of luck for a post-apocalyptic refugee, or evidence that they had prior knowledge of the place.
The assemblages discovered in the schokolade room were mostly in werking condition, once batteries that had corroded due to changes in the atmosphere were replaced. They consisted mostly of brightly colored skulpturs which made sound when a person interacted with them. Most had “augmented aurality” where additional sound was introduced through electronics (salvaged from the Compound’s computer room).
The artist, in notes found with the artefakts, referred to themself as “Parasol”. For this exhibit we will attribute the pieces to Parasol “B”. Other artwerks by “Parasol” exist in other timethreads, but only the werks from timethread “B”—transported to my timethread “D” before “B” went permanently dark—are included in this exhibit. The name Parasol is assumed to be inspired by the profusion of umbrellas and parasols the artist found at the Compound.
In addition to the assemblages, sketches and notes were found, mostly written on the floor. Some are like diary entries. Some are in-process sketches of artwerks. Some appear to be a study of the patterns found in the musik left behind by the Owner. The record that the Owner left on the Victoriola machine was a custom-made disk of his favorite songs, presumably, some of which were sung or played by him on the recording. All of the Owner’s piano rolls curiously contained a color in the song title or lyrics. Scholars theorize that the artist sought to understand the mysterious Owner better by transforming his favorite songs into a visual language—as religious iconography attempts to visualize a deity.
Also on display are some werks by contemporary artist “parasol b”, all lowercase, considered either a copycat or meta artist. These werks are considered relevant for this exhibit because of their exploration and extension of Parasol B’s concepts. I am acting as an agent for parasol b in this exhibit. While cooperative in putting together this exhibit, parasol b wishes to remain anonymous.
Kerry Crocker, Curator
TimeScience Alliance, Office of Artefakts
TimeThread “D”
Zipper
Parasol B
Metal duct pipe, zipper, electronics
Circa 1969-1971
…Most had “augmented aurality” where additional sound was introduced through electronics (salvaged from the Compound’s computer room)…
Parasols
Parasol B
Parasols, lights, electronics
Circa 1969-1971
…The name Parasol is assumed to be inspired by the profusion of umbrellas and parasols the artist found at the Compound…
Records 33 1/3 & Records 78
Parasol B
Circa 1969-1971
…The record that the Owner left on the Victoriola machine was a custom-made disk of his favorite songs, presumably, some of which were sung or played by him on the recording…
Rain
Parasol B
Parasols, water, cord, pulleys, thread, electronics
Circa 1969-1971
Notes left behind by Parasol B suggest that these works represent the longing for fresh air, wasser and the ability to see the sky.
Cloud
Parasol B
Aluminum, steel, wood, electronics
Circa 1969-1971
Notes left behind by Parasol B suggest that these works represent the longing for fresh air, wasser and the ability to see the sky.
Knobs
Parasol B
Spools, pipes, rope, elastic, electronics
Circa 1969-1971
…They found the Owner’s possessions pilfered and the computer room largely dismantled, with wires spewing from the recesses behind metal panels, whose formerly blinking lights now looked like gouged-out robot eyes…
Le Wonkatania v1.0 – v4.0, Rachmaninoff v1.0 – v4.0 Paintings
parasol b
Acrylic spray paint on canvas
2016
Following the lead of Parasol B, parasol b delved into the patterns of the Owner’s musik.
These contemporary paintings are based on sketches and notes found at the Compound by the exploration team on their last visit to timethread “B”.
…Some [notes and sketches] appear to be a study of the patterns found in the musik left behind by the Owner. The record that the Owner left on the Victoriola machine was a custom-made disk of his favorite songs…
Play the Paintings
parasol b
Site-specific installation
2018
Hold the metal ring in one hand. Touch the black circles with the other hand.
To play LE WONKATANIA (left) play the WHITE NUMBERS.
To play RACHMANINOFF (right) play the BLACK NUMBERS.
Light Leak, Le Wonkatania and Rachmaninoff Records
parasol b
3D printed plastic
2018
The contemporary paintings of the visualization of musik by parasol b are based on these three songs.
Tubes
Parasol B
Circa 1969-1971
…The Compound was nearly self sustaining. Features included a warehouse of building maintenance supplies…
Light Leak
parasol b
Acrylic spray paint on canvas
2017
This contemporary painting is based on sketches and notes found at the Compound by the exploration team on their last visit to timethread “B”.
It was commissioned by Bendu for his EP of the same name.
