(Wilhelmshaven, 1939 -)
Two Flower Pots with Ash, 1987
clay pots, speakers, ash, walkman with audio tape, wire
Gift of the Lannan Foundation
Four White Stones, 1987
speakers, marble blocks, walkman, wire, audio tape
3 ½ x 13 x 16 in (blocks)
Rolf Julius (born 1939 in Northern Germany) is an european artist based in Berlin. His practice was based on a double approach, at the boundaries of visual art and musical creation. As a sculptor, Julius was also a fully-fledged musician, creating electro-acoustic compositions, giving concerts and performances where improvisation often played an important part. His work is closest to minimalistic art, in the sense that the materials themself have meaning.
Four White Stones is the result of Julius “small music”. This is created by taping everyday sounds and playing them continuously in conjunction with his installation. These minimalistic sounds recordings subtly alter the space and stimulate curiosity. The viewer is challenged to try to connect the source of the sound with what is being displayed. By finding music in apparent randomness, Julius views the experience of the seemingly mundane infused with an underlying harmony and melody.
[description:] Four marble cubes, each with a speaker connected to the top.
Gift of the Lannan Foundation
Seven Weisse Musiknester (Seven White Music Nests), 1988
7 speakers, wire, audio tape, cassette deck, amplifier
Gift of the Lannan Foundation