Spin: Turning Records Into Art

KMAC Museum

Louisville | Kentucky | USA

Apr 21, 2018 - Aug 05, 2018

Spin: Turning Records Into Art is a show of artist made records and record covers, alongside recent projects by contemporary artists who make use of the record in their sculptures and installations, including Rutherford Chang, Ajit Chauhan, Jamal Cyrus, David Ellis, Terrence Hammonds, Jennie C. Jones and Cynthia Norton. A substantial portion of the show features records from the collection of Michael Lowe, a Cincinnati based art collector with over 2000 records that is international in scope and reflects the myriad historical relationships between the artist and the record, a range that extends from conceptual works by artists like Joseph Beuys, Lawrence Weiner, and Christian Marclay to albums with iconic images by Jean Michel-Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Barbara Kruger and Yoko Ono. Artists from Kentucky are included, featuring album covers by Lexington based artist Robert Beatty, and Louisville artists Kathleen Lolley, Joanne Oldham, Letitia Quesenberry, Jason Noble, Jeff Mueller, and Michael O’Bannon.

Initially designed to function as a protective sleeve, record covers have evolved into a highly sophisticated form of artistic expression. Notwithstanding the value of music videos and the proliferation of merchandise such as t-shirts and posters, records have become less disposable and more established as cultural artifacts and art objects in our current post-media age of music consumption. Musicians and artists alike have long believed that the physical products associated with music listening, from the album cover, the record sleeve and liner notes to inserts and the color of the vinyl, all contribute to a deeper listening experience.