Research Projects

Phallohone: searching for an artistic voice through DIY practice

Phallohone: searching for an artistic voice through DIY practice
Dirk Stromberg
Interdisciplinary Research

The approaches of Harry Partch’s explorations have now come to computer music with the help of microcomputers and microcontrollers. The ability for artists to be Do It Yourself (DIY) Practitioners has created a vertical integration of artistic practices while changing the face of the arts. Over the past 15 years, the ability to interact with computers has become more affordable, flexible, and accessible. There is now a large community of practice of artists participating in DIY practice - not totally dislike the Punk Rock scene of DIY Culture. The community has led to a rapid and diverse development of interfaces. 

Artists can create their own method of interaction with technology, determine the meaning of the interaction, and determine the artistic output. This is analogous to a composer being able to create their instrument, have a wide variety of sonic interactions - without the limitations of its acoustic properties - and have a composition that can be a part of the instrument and performance. It has allowed for a further deconstruction of artistic boundaries such as genre and practice as Kaprow predicted in the 1950’s.
 
DIY practice has allowed for many artists to develop a new voice in their work. The Phallophone is such an example. The instrument demonstrates how the ability for an artist to be able to be in control of the entire artistic practice can create a new voice and approach to artistic practice. In this presentation, we will look at how the Phallophone has benefitted from DIY practice and its larger impact on the artistic voice of Dirk Johan Stromberg while also looking to the future possibilities. 

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Interdisciplinary Research
Interdisciplinary Research