In Relative Obscurity II: Without An End In Mind is an experimental, site-specific audio-visual project that merges improvisational (loosely) American Primitive Guitar with field recordings and video art sourced from the Mojave Desert; more specifically, Rhyolite, Nevada, USA.
The subtitle, Without An End In Mind, is taken directly from an essay I was commissioned to write for the UNLV Marjorie Barrick Museum’s quarterly publication, Dry Heat Vol. 5 (aka “The Goldwell Issue”. I wrote about the first iteration of IRO and how I was inspired by Albert’s spirit of improvisation, in contrast to Executive Director, Suzanne Hackett-Morgan’s opening essay reflecting on the origins of the organization and her vision for it’s future.
The project is conceptually grounded in the legacy of the late Belgian artist Albert Szukalski. It serves as a contemporary dialogue with Szukalski’s methods, while also responding to the desert environment itself, where even the movement of sand produces remarkable ambient sonic textures. He remarked that the landscape of Nevada, specifically Rhyolite, reminded him of the holy lands depicted in the bible; making it the perfect backdrop for his Last Supper sculpture.
Filmed on October 19th, 2024, the morning of Goldwell’s 40th anniversary celebration, the work largely centers on a single static sunrise shot of the valley. The audio consists of an improvised electric guitar performance recorded with an amplifier and field recorder, capturing the violence of the high desert winds and the reverb of my guitar’s sound; both bouncing off of the barn’s metal tin roof.
This project was funded in part by the Nevada Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.
This project was funded in part by the Nevada Arts Council & the National Endowment for the Arts.
You can Listen/Support on Bandcamp or listen on Spotify, etc.
