Meredith Monk

  

Monk can be regarded as on of the pioneering figures in vocal performance art. Her work dates to the 1960s and 70s and has been influencing generations of artists.

In contrast to most artists we discussed, her work comprises dancing, singing, performance, and film.

She understands her voice not only as a tool to convey spoken language and words but as an instrument itself, that can reveal information through its sound intensity (high and low timbre) and its unique properties. Using the voice itself, Monk strongly focusses on expression without words by emphasizing aspects of movement, connection and energy.

To her this concept does comprise political and social indications, as she brings people and cultures together by expressing herself in languages that do not exist. Consequently, other aspects and particularities of the voice are emphasized. Taking inspiration from her eastern European background, she combines European folk singing styles with techniques promoted by the American Avantgarde.

 

The video of “Turtle Dreams” creates a biding tension. As a ticking noise in the background establishes itself, tension rises. On screen, we see a pair of eyes starring right into the camera, then a cigarette in an ashtray that is reached for by a hand in a black glove. The image is replaced by another hand in a black glove that is holding a glass with some caramel-brownish liquid and ice cubes that is being emptied by surpassingly the same person using a straw. As the glass is slowly being emptied an obscure rhythm (descending form the noise of a person slowly slurping the liquid) joins the background ticking. As the slurping stops, the hands in gloves appear above a piano. The person wearing the gloves rubs their hands vigorously. It suddenly stops and all background sounds disappear, as the hands rest motionlessly on the grey piano. A melody is being played and it seems as if the scene is finally set. This impression is supported by the appearance of the piece´s title “Turtle Dreams” on screen. As the scenery changes, one by one a total of four people appear in a light pink room. Among them, the person who´s eyes we have seen before, as well as Meredith Monk herself. Although rather individually, they are all dressed in black, and as the melody played by the glove wearing person continuous, they start moving in a repetitive manner, by taking one step at a time, from the left to the right and back in a slightly disturbing almost military fashion. While this movement continuous, the display detail changes so that a close-up of Monk´s face appears, as she starts to sing with a rather high-pitched, almost strident voice. The movement continues, as the other persons gradually start to use their voices to produce sounds as well. As the soundscape continuously unfolds itself through an agglomeration of synth-piano chords and the human voice, the video is visually altered through short full-screen inserts of moving bodies on the floor and black and white video material that alternately displays wider landscapes or close-up views of nature. After roughly 15 minutes, close-ups of a digital global map in black and white, crossed by a turtle appear on display. The oversized turtle seemingly follows a certain path tagged by arrows, until she finds herself in the middle of a city street from which she crosses a bridge in order to get to the edge of a desert. She continuously turns her head and confidently crawls towards the moon. The video ends with some last synth chords, before turning to a close-up freezing image of the moon accompanied by the end credits and the sounds of chirping crickets.

After having watched the whole video (performance), the piano synth chords continue to linger in my mind. Apparently, my head is still moving in sync with the unreliable rhythm proposed by the singing performers, whose strident voices irritate the tranquility of the repetitive synth chords. With time, the video unfolds a wondrous undertow as it sets the scene for a quaint dream universe. After having entered the universe, I felt beguiled by a strange fascination with the turtle´s journey and the slow and calming quality of her movement. As time goes by and the turtle repeatedly appears on screen, identification is being promoted and facilitated.