Flipping the bird
Performance artist Laurie Anderson gets “weird” again, filling another show with feathered friends. A David Bowie interview.
Some people know Laurie Anderson only as the one-hit wondress behind “O Superman.” David Bowie knows better. He selected the prolific and versatile multimedia artist to debut a new (and as yet under-wraps) musical work at the High Line Festival. His selection criterion? All participants are “artists and acts I’d go out of my way to see.” Recently, Bowie went out of his way to talk to Anderson about birds, wheezing and the fine art of making visual music.
David Bowie: This is the first year of the High Line Festival. What, other than my irresistible charm, tipped you over into participating?
Laurie Anderson: I think festivals designed by artists are so much wackier and riskier than the ones designed by institutions. Maybe because the institutional festivals often have themes, and you always get the feeling that artists are trying to squeeze their work into the theme.
What piece will you be debuting at the festival? Would you give me a few teasers as to its subject—or even its content?
I’ll be playing with two of my favorite musicians: Skuli Sverrisson, who plays bass, and Peter Scherer on keyboards. We’ve been working on these combinations of electronics and real instruments—like violin and hurdy-gurdy and weird electronic wheezing.
(continue reading at Time Out)
Laurie performs May 17 and May 18 at Highline Ballroom.
