Abundances (2015, collaboration with Susy Bielak)

The interactive artist book series Abundances addresses contemporary food and cultural distribution systems—alternatively presented as interactive bound books and as suites of unbound photographs in cardboard boxes. The books’ poems are based on interviews with food executives and restaurant workers. In the interactive installation of Abundances, readers complete each volume by slicing rings from a head of cabbage (provided) and inserting the slices into Mylar sleeves containing the typescript poems. Bound in adapted cardboard food shipping containers, the books reference cartoneras—a social, political and artistic publishing movement in Latin America. One of the first three volumes of the series is available here. In this version, clicking through the photos replaces the act of slicing and inserting cabbage.

In conjunction with exhibition at the Experimental Sound Studio, we used the space a laboratory to produce a four-channel sound installation and a series of alternate audio scores for the project. We hosted three public programs in the studio’s live room: “Spontaneous Cases,” a reading of experimental short stories with a live sound mix by Damon Locks; “Bodies of the City,” a participatory chorale reading of poems related to water and architecture; and “Afternoon for Improvisors,” an event where improvising musicians responded to the installation.

Collaboration with Susy Bielak

Interactive artist book series and installation (cardboard, mylar, paper, cabbage, kitchen knife, cutting board, wooden table and shelf). Each book 10” x 12.5” x 2.5”

Text above based on interview with David Murphy

Originally produced in 2015 for Being There exhibition at Adds Donna (Chicago), curated by Meg Duguid and Philip Von Zwek