design museum

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David Byrne : Roundhouse Instrument

I found this exhibition by accident after attending the Roundhouse Proms session one evening in August. David Byrne, the former frontman of the band Talking Heads, is now working on a sound installation known as the Roundhouse Instrument which "invites members of the public to play the building like an instrument". It was an eerie experience for me as every touch on the keyboard reverberates around the whole building, making for quite an empowering feeling.

"Everything from the building's metal beams to its water pipes will become a component of the resonating, vibrating, oscillating noise-maker. Members of the public will be able to move through the Roundhouse and activate the space in different ways – primarily through a special keyboard that turns pipes into flutes and walls into drums."

Before now I have not appreciated this form of art as I felt it could be described as an empty nothing of arranged objects, with no use or purpose. However I feel that participation in creating your own form of installation can be very rewarding and engaging.

Jonathan Darby : branded nation

I discovered this artist in an article in the Guardian and then subsequently attended his exhibition at The Print House Gallery in early August. Darby's body of work centers on the ideology behind "the phenomena of how brands and their visual aspects are taking over public space; leaving us less and less choice about what surrounds us". Visually his work is poignant and draws you to consider how you yourself are affected by branding and its motives. I aim to discuss Darby's work in my dissertation and found this exhibition to open up a reflective view of modern consumerism.

Darby typically uses mixed media in his work and a layering/collage effect which works to illustrate how we as consumers are covered by corporate marketing, allowing it to be piled upon us. He also features characters with whom you can relate to, whether they be displaying a feeling of innocence or loss of, thus creating an emotive response with the public.