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Billy (Not Really)
Space Research • Denim and Thread on Canvas Drop Cloth • 4’ x 5’ • Spring Semester
To communicate my presence through a banner, I continued exploring an idea I touched on in my video “self-portrait” in which I represented my identity through the influence my lineage (my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather) has on me, for better or for worse. For my banner, I wanted to hone in on expectations, specifically the expectations placed on me as the fourth “William” and the assumptions that come with them. The banner features a portrait of myself dressed in a tuxedo when I was around three years old. The portrait itself shows the influence of my lineage in the way it is constructed. I used four different washes of denim to create separate values in the portrait, with the lightest on the bottom layer and the darkest on top. As denim is aged and worn, it becomes lighter, so each layer of denim represents an older “William.” The darkest, top layer features a pristine pocket and even retains its Levi’s-esque tag with the Roman numeral “IV” sewn onto it to highlight its recency.
In the eras my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather grew up in, “William” was commonly shortened to “Bill”, and for younger individuals, “Billy.” Because of this, many people assumed I would be a “Billy” at this age, but I was a “William.” To this day, “William” is my preferred version of the name. I chose to position the portrait of myself below the name “Billy” so the viewer may be left to assume this boy featured below is a “Billy,” just as adults in my early life formed expectations of me based on my lineage.
Musical Spoon Chair
Space Research • Wood, Drywall Screws, Paint • 36” x 19 3/4” x 16 7/8” • Spring Semester
This chair is based on Enzo Mari’s simple “Sedia 1 Chair” and modified to be used as a musical instrument. When playing the musical spoons, players often play sitting down or standing with one leg propped up on a chair, either method works as long as the spoons can bounce between a leg and an elevated hand. This chair was designed with musical spoon playing in mind, so the seat height is such that my leg will be at a 90-degree angle if propped up on it. The seat is also equipped with a few auxiliary percussion instruments associated with the spoons and bluegrass percussion. The seatback of the original Sedia design has been reversed and replaced with a washboard, which can be played with the player sitting down and facing the seatback. The bell and horn can be played in either configuration (sitting down or standing up) to incorporate some additional flair. The geometric pattern on the front of the chair was inspired by a pattern I discovered on a map of the Penland Handicraft Campus in North Carolina from 1930. I felt the pattern was fitting considering the context in which this chair was crafted–as a learning experience in the AFO woodshop–and as an homage to bluegrass’ Appalachian roots.
The pattern appears once more on the offering I presented to my classmates, which is a graphic score inspired by experimental compositions by composers such as Mark Applebaum. My score differs from some of Applebaum’s work as it is intended to be played with a specific set of instruments (those present on the chair), but the way in which they are played is left up to the player’s interpretation. The title and “PERCUSSION” instrument listing are stylized as faithfully as possible to formal sheet music conventions because the first time I played the musical spoons, I saw the instrument listed on a piece of music in band class and eagerly asked my director if I could have the part. I chose to create a graphic score as opposed to a traditional piece of sheet music to highlight not only my exploration of musical spoons but also the personal playing styles unique to anyone who picks up these instruments.