Forcefield was an American noise band and art collective, founded in 1997 in Providence, Rhode Island,[1] closely associated with Fort Thunder.[2][3]

Work

Known for performing in colorful full-body knit-wear of their own design,[4] the band rarely played outside of Rhode Island but did two US tours with their Fort Thunder roommates Lightning Bolt. Members included Meerk Puffy (Matt Brinkman), Gorgon Radeo (Jim Drain), P Lobe (Ara Peterson), and Le Geef (Leif Goldberg). The group become more widely recognized after being included in the 2002 Whitney Biennial,[3][5][6] but disbanded shortly afterwards. According to writer Rachel Kushner, the group's Whitney Biennial installation was "a pandemonium of ear-cracking sound, seizure-inducing films, and bewigged mannequins sheathed in the collective's trademark knit Afghans, which look like they were produced by a team of Taylorist acidheads with industrial looms."[7] Third Annual Roggabogga, the soundtrack accompanying their Biennial show, was released as a CD by Load Records in 2003. Later that year, Bulb Records put out the posthumous Lord of the Rings Modulator.

In addition to performing, the group produced a number of single channel video works to be projected behind them during performances. The videos are both serious and sublime, while simultaneously maintaining a sensibility of deadpan humor and menace.[8]

References

  1. ^ Cotter, Holland (19 January 2003). "Doing Their Own Thing, Making Art Together", The New York Times. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  2. ^ Lafreniere, Steve (November 2002). "Forcefield", Artforum 41 (3): 176–77.
  3. ^ a b Smith, Roberta (16 December 2006). "Looking for Graphic Lightning From Fort Thunder", The New York Times. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  4. ^ Van Siclen, Bill (17 March 2002). "The Whitney Biennial: Forcefield was given 'carte blanche' at Whitney", The Providence Journal, p. E9.
  5. ^ Cotter, Holland (22 November 2002). "Art in Review: Forcefield", The New York Times. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  6. ^ Mason, Stewart. "Forcefield: Roggaboggas", Allmusic. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  7. ^ Kushner, Rachel (December 2004). "Jim Drain", Artforum 43 (4): 203.
  8. ^ "Forcefield". Electronic Arts Intermix. Retrieved 6 April 2012.

External links


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