Art & Art History
Chances Are the Comets in Our Future: A Visual Introduction to Drag City
Gallery 400
400 South Peoria Street, Chicago, IL 60607
Chances Are the Comets in Our Future: A Visual Introduction to Drag City is an exhibition focusing on Chicago ’s own Drag City record label, which has been championing forward-thinking rock music since 1989, and is today recognized as a premier independent music label. Over the years, the label has had numerous run-ins with the visual arts. Drag City has released music by musicians who have been remarkably influential on visual artists as well as musicians who are visual artists themselves or have collaborated in-depth with visual artists. Still other musicians on Drag City have, in turn, treated their image with such attentiveness that their output can be viewed as a long-running act of performance. With Drag City, what you see is what you deserve.
Books Do Furnish a Room is the title that writer Anthony Powell gave to the 1971 novel of his twelve-novel project, A Dance to the Music of Time. Books may very well furnish a room, but records furnish a room and provide music to listen to while attending to the books. Furthermore, with a Drag City record, you get a package that draws attention away from the books altogether. Familiarity with the Drag City catalogue proves that a well-designed record package is a work of art, crafted with conceptual impact, visual intelligence, and emotional pleasure.
The album covers and other visual art by progressive rock musicians on display in Chances Are the Comets in Our Future reflect the interconnected artistic visions of the bands and artists, who make up the composite, shifting endeavor that is Drag City. The work includes covers, artworks, and more from groups such as Bonnie “Prince” Billy, The Red Krayola, Singer, Royal Trux, Gastr del Sol, Neil Hamburger, Silver Jews, Ghost, Weird War, and USA; with designs by Art & Language, David Berman, Barbara Bloom, Gene Booth, Bill Callahan, Brian Calvin, Neil Michael Hagerty, Stephen Prina, Albert Oehlen, Savage Pencil, Roman Signer, Mick Turner, Christopher Williams, among others.
As Gallery 400 Assistant Director Anthony Elms wrote, “Looking through the materials, and in my brief interactions with the Drag City team, I thought, ‘the history of the label still needs to get out. ’ If this exhibition serves as an early volley in a longer project of detailing Drag City’s history, then Chances Are the Comets in Our Future is an honorable and necessary step.”
related:
EXHIBITION SUPPORT
Chances Are the Comet in Our Future is supported by the College of Architecture and the Arts, University of Illinois at Chicago, and a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.
EXHIBITION ESSAY
Rian Murphy
Drag City is a record label that has released LPs, CDs, DVDs, books, comic books, posters and the occasional t-shirt since 1989.
The goal upon founding was to release a 7″ single (“Hero Zero” by Royal Trux, the collage is on view in this exhibition). Nearly twenty years later, that goal has been accomplished. But are we satisfied, do we walk away? No! There might be another 7″ single out there worth doing…or something even better: an album, maybe.
There will be no scheduled end of the road for Drag City (unless the money runs out) because Drag City itself is a composite beast made of the bands and artists it has released over the years. The connection made with Royal Trux, Silver Jews, Smog, Palace Brothers, King Kong, Gastr del Sol, The Red Krayola, Flying Saucer Attack, Mick Turner, Aerial M, Neil Hamburger, Jim O’Rourke, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Neil Michael Hagerty, David Grubbs, Bill Callahan, Six Organs of Admittance, Joanna Newsom and many, many others has created a real fucking life for the label and new friends for the boys and girls running it. It’s created a livelihood (at best!) and a reliable pastime (for some!), but we’re all a few records richer as a result. This is the important part: the art of it. Being a few records richer is, to our collective mind, a great richness.
The look of Drag City Records is in essence a shared vision between all of the artists on the label, each making a decision about how their records should look. Their decisions are curated, mitigated and framed by the suits and bigwigs down at HQ. It is to all the artists who have worked with us, many of whose fine works are on display here in this here gallery, that we extend our gratitude. Thanks for being our friends and allies – and thanks for all the nice wall hangings.
****
Anthony Elms
When I first proposed Chances Are the Comets in Our Future to the people of Drag City, I knew it could not be the complete history of the Drag City record label, but a presentation of some of the exceptional ways visual art and performers/records have come together. Over the years, the label has had numerous run-ins with the visual arts in all manners of methods. Drag City has released music by musicians that have been remarkably influential on visual artists and released music by musicians who are visual artists themselves or have collaborated in-depth with visual artists. Still other musicians on Drag City have, in turn, treated their image with such attentiveness that their output can be viewed as a long-running act of performance. It is rare that a label has had so much involvement with visual artists and also allows so many of its musicians to design, paint, draw, etc., their own album covers. In the gallery are numerous examples that sometimes an offset-printed record cover, designed with care and respect, can be equal to any artwork; and in particular, a well-crafted record cover can often trump most painting, drawing or video rooted in the artist ’s love of music.
Looking through the materials, and in my brief interactions with the Drag City team, I thought, “the history of the label still needs to get out.” If this exhibition serves as an early volley in a longer project of detailing Drag City’s history, then Chances Are the Comets in Our Future is an honorable and necessary step.
Special thanks are due to Ryan Davis, Sara Hays, Dan Koretsky, Rian Murphy and Dan Osborn, who all provided invaluable help and without whom this exhibition would not have been possible. Thanks also to Royal Trux, without whom this exhibition would not have a title.
****
Anthony Elms and Rian Murphy, Chances Are the Comets in Our Future, August 2008.
These essays were distributed in the gallery during the run of the exhibition.
PRINT COLLATERAL
Postcard: Chances Are the Comets in Our Future – Opening Reception
EXHIBITION CHECKLIST
David Berman
Collages for inner sleeve
Silver Jews: Tanglewood Numbers, 2005
Collage for inner sleeve
Silver Jews: Starlite Walker, 1994
Collage for tour poster
Silver Jews: The Arizona Record, 1993
Bonnie “Prince” Billy
Arise Therefore, 1996
Drawing by Gene Booth
Cold & Wet, 2006
Painting by Lori D.
I See A Darkness, 1999
Cover by Will Oldham
Sings Greatest Palace Music, 2004
Painting by Mclean Stith
Helena Espvall & Masaki Batoh
Helena Espvall & Masaki Batoh, 2008
Drawing by Kumagusu Minakata
Bill Callahan
Drinking Woman, 1999
published in Bill Callahan: The Death ’s Head Drawings
Collage for cover
Smog: A River Ain ’t Too Much to Love, 2005
Collage for front and back cover
Smog: Floating, 1991
Collage for poster
Smog: Burning Kingdom, 1994
Untitled, 1999
published in Bill Callahan: The Death ’s Head Drawings
Dearraindrop
Collage for Drag City promotional CD, 2005
Collage for cover
Bill Callahan: Woke on a Whaleheart, 2005
John Fahey
Untitled, not dated
Kyle Field
Drawings for front, back, and cover
Bonnie “Prince” Billy: Agnes, Queen of Sorrow, 2004
Flying Saucer Attack
Mirror, 2000
Cover by Savage Pencil
Gastr del Sol
Camoufleur, 1998
Drawing by Markus Oehlen
Mirror Repair, 1994
Painting by Albert Oehlen
Upgrade & Afterlife, 1996
Photograph by Roman Signer
Ghost
Hypnotic Underworld, 2004
Painting by Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi
David Grubbs
The Thicket, 1998
Photograph by Stephen Prina
Neil Hamburger
Sings Country Winners, 2008
Photograph by Simone Turkington
Neil Michael Hagerty
Collage for cover
The Howling Hex: All-Night Fox, 2005
Collage for cover
Neil Michael Hagerty: Neil Michael Hagerty, 2001
Neil Michael Hagerty & Jennifer Herrema
Painting for cover
Royal Trux: Singles, Live, Unreleased, 1997
Drawing for unused poster
Royal Trux: What is Royal Trux?, 1992
Collage for inner gatefold
Royal Trux: Twin Infinitives, 1990
Painting for cover
Royal Trux: Accelerator, 1998
Collage for front and back cover
Royal Trux: Hero Zero, 1990
Mock up for Royal Trux poster, 2000
Neil Michael Hagerty with Ian Svenonius and Michelle Mae
Collage for cover
Weird War: Weird War, 2002
Jennifer Herrema
Painting for inner sleeve
RTX: Transmaniacon, 2002
Embroidery for cover
Royal Trux: Pound for Pound, 2000
Rikke Iversholt
Collage for cover
Alasdair Roberts: The Amber Gathers, 2007
J. Spaceman & Sun City Girls
Mister Lonely: Music From the Film By Harmony Korine, 2008
Photographs by Brent Stewart and Juergen Teller
Loose Fur
Loose Fur, 2003
Painting by Brian Calvin
Delphine LeDorze
Photograph for cover
King Kong: Kingdom of Kong, 1997
Geoff McFetridge
Drawing for promotion poster
Royal Trux: Veterans of Disorder, 1999
Joanna Newsom
Ys, 2006
Painting by Benjamin A. Vierling
Michael O ’Bannon
Drawings for cover
Gastr del Sol: Serpentine Similar, 1993
Albert Oehlen
Cover mock-up
The Red Krayola: 14, 1994
Jim O ’Rourke
Halfway to a Threeway, 1999
Photographs by Jim Newberry
Dan Osborn
Drawing for poster
Joanna Newsom: Tellurian Night Music, 2007
Osorezan
Mimidokodesuka, 2008
Collage by Jim O ’Rourke
Palace Music
Lost Blues and Other Songs, 1997
Cover by Will Oldham
Viva Last Blues, 1995
Drawing by Dianne Bellino
Olli Päük
Collage for cover
Liimanarina: Spermarket, 1995
Stephen Prina
Push Comes to Love, 1999
Cover by Barbara Bloom
Emily Prince
Embroidery for cover
Joanna Newsom: The Milk-Eyed Mender, 2004
Singer
Unhistories, 2008
Design by Dan Osborn
Suarasama
Fajar Di Atas Awan, 2008
Cover by Hisham Akira Bharoocha
Ian Svenonius
Drawing for inner sleeve
Scene Creamers: I Suck on that Emotion, 2003
Drawing for cover
Scene Creamers: AK-47, 2003
Unused drawing for cover
Scene Creamers: AK-47, 2003
Drawing for cover
Weird War: If You Can ’t Beat ‘Em, Bite ‘Em, 2004
Collage for inner sleeve
Weird War: Illuminated by the Light, 2005
Spencer Sweeney
Drawing for cover
Bonnie “Prince” Billy with Matt Sweeney: Superwolf, 2005
Royal Trux
Cats and Dogs, 1993
Cover by Royal Trux
Veterans of Disorder, 1999
Logo by Dan Osborn
Background by Royal Trux
Radio Video EP, 2000
Drawing by Hiroshi Tanabe
Hand of Glory, 2002
Collage by Neil Michael Hagerty
RTX
Transmaniacon, 2004
Drawing by Fergadelic
Shellac
Cover mock-up
Shellac: The Bird is the Most Popular Finger, 1994
The Red Krayola
Coconut Hotel
Recorded 1967, released 1995
Photo by Mayo Thompson
The Red Krayola, 1994
Photo by Albert Oehlen
Amor and Language, 1995
Cover by Christopher Williams
Hazel, 1996
Cover by Christopher Williams
Chemistry, 1995
Cover by Christopher Williams
Fingerpainting, 1999
Cover by Christopher Williams
Blues, Hollers and Hellos, 2000
Design by Christopher William
Introduction, 2006
Design by Dan Osborn
The Red Krayola with Art & Language
Sighs Trapped By Liars, 2007
Lyrics by Art & Language
Mayo Thompson
Corky ’s Debt to His Father, 1970
White Magic
Dat Rosa Mel Apibus, 2006
Painting by Mira Billotte
Dark Stars, 2007
Drawing by Douglas Shaw
Christopher Williams
Contact sheet for cover
The Red Krayola: Amor and Language, 1995
MEDIA COVERAGE
“Chances Are the Comets in Our Future: A Visual Introduction to Drag City.” flavorpill.com, Aug. 26, 2008.
Reisinger, Justine. “Gallery 400 Offers a Visual Introduction to Drag City.” pastemagazine.com, Aug. 29, 2008.
Sanford, Graham. “Chances Are the Comets in Our Future.” gapersblock.com, Sept. 4, 2008.