TRANSMISSION ART ARCHIVE

Six lines, some of which are broken

2012
Folkestone Fringe
Image for "Six Lines Some of which are Broken"

Image for "Six Lines Some of which are Broken". Created by Jonathan Wright for "120 Hours for John Cage." (May 16, 2012)

Folkestone Fringe's contribution to "120 hours for John Cage," UK based Folkestone Fringe, pay homage with Six Lines Some of which are Broken. This work has been constructed by streaming six differing radio signals into a pre-arranged program determined by the binary nature of the 64 permutations of the I Ching. This ancient Chinese classic text became a standard compositional tool for Cage. Using the mathematical patterns of bell ringing notation of the 17th Century in England, the final treatment is formalized through the musical score known as Bob Minor - uniquely composed for 6 bells. Here the consistency of the bell is replaced by the unpredictability of the radio content.

“If I ask the I Ching a question as though it were a book of wisdom, which it is, I generally say, "What do you have to say about this?" and then I just listen to what it says and see if some bells ring or not.” John Cage ‘Conversing with Cage', p 17

Folkestone Fringe’s contribution to 120 Hours for John Cage Six Lines Some of which are Broken is the work of Diane Dever, Gerry Kelly and Jonathan Wright.