Sound Artist – Michael Snow

Michael Snow is a Canadian artist born in 1929. His works involve painting, sculpture, drawing, films, videos, photography, holography, books and music. He’s recognized as one of the most significant artists in contemporary arts and cinema. He’s also recognized to have “extensively played piano, trumpet, synth and percussion on numerous records and live performances”. His musical background is closely linked to jazz as he was originally a professional jazz musician. Like many other artists, Snow’s interest in the arts has created a wide variety of popular works in fields other than just filmography. Although known as a famous experimental filmmaker, his recognized works involve music as well.

The WOW:
“In the 50-minute Sinoms, Snow has multi-tracked some 20 voices, with as many different French and English accents, reading a complete list of the mayors of Quebec City, at some points making a simple juxtaposition of pronunciation and at others creating the effect of a choir.”

Sound Artist – Man Ray

Man Ray, born in 1890, was an American artist who considered himself a painter above all. He was a portrait photographer and he’s best known for his avant-garde photography in the art world. “Perhaps best described simply as a modernist, he was a significant contributor to both the Dada and Surrealist movements, although his ties to each were informal”.   In 1999, he was recognized as one of the 25 most influential artists of the 20th century by ARTnews magazine. His photography explored film, painting, sculpture, collage, assemblage, and “prototypes of what would eventually be called performance and conceptual art”.

It’s interesting to note that Man Ray did not disclose much information of his early years and personal or family life. His original name was Emmanuel Radnitzky, a name he refused to acknowledge due to his private lifestyle. He seems to have preferred being disassociated with his family life. What makes Man Ray’s art different from others is the relationship between his work and clothing and sewing. Art historians have also noted similarity in his collage and painting techniques to those used in making clothing. His similarities to other artists include the fact that he educated himself by attending museums and art galleries that influenced his works.  

Sound Artist – Vladimir Maïakovski

Vladimir Maïakovski was a Russian poet and playwright born in Georgia in 1894. In his early life, he was involved in political activities and he had been arrested three time for some illegal involvement. He began writing poetry in prison. Later when he was released, Vladimir eventually attended the Moscow Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in 1911. Here, he met David Burlifik who encouraged him to write poetry. Eventually, Vladimir joined the Soviet Union and continued to write and gained reputation as a Soviet poet. He defined his work as ‘Communist futurism’.  

Vladimir may be similar to other sound artists because his famous works were influenced by travelling and dedicated to loved ones. He travelled to many different countries including Britain, United States, and Cuba. He may be different from other artists because his popularity led to the renaming of the village he was born in, Bagdad, after his name, Maïakovski. Also, he’s believed to have committed suicide in 1930. Apparently, he shot himself but some say that he was murdered.