Pick up the jack and listen! The rock band and art collaboration known as Japanther consists of Matthew Reilly and Ian Vanek. During their 2011 Production Studio Project at the Clocktower Gallery the two developed and realized several inter-related projects. First, the band rehearsed in our gallery and wrote some new songs, they organized performances --including several involving feasts hosted with another collaborator, artist and chef Jenn Su – and they set up a classic New York phone booth in our stairwell. However, the phone did not allow you to make calls. For one month the phone recorded everyone who picked up the receiver, and Japanther urged people to tell secrets, observations, and adventures. Then they rewired it. Now the receiver plays back these stories when visitors pick it up. Listen here for a selection of stories from the Japanther Phone Booth.
The Clocktower Production Studio Project is an emerging artist program made possible by the Jerome Foundation, which seeks to foster a dynamic and evolving culture by supporting the creation, development, and production of new works by emerging artists.
