A woman hunched at a small desk setting up figurines under a light. She is surrounded by a small red piano and sound recording equipment.

Down The Rabbit-Hole

Phyllis Chen + Rob Dietz

Monday, March 7, 2011 at 4pm

Studio 2

Dates + Tickets

Down The Rabbit Hole was a workshop performance of a new piece created in residence by Phyllis Chen (toy pianist/composer) and Rob Dietz (video artist/electronic musician). A multimedia work for toy pianos, music boxes, live electronics, live and edited video, and amplified objects, Down the Rabbit Hole was inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice stories; rather than a re-telling of a beloved tale, it drew upon objects and themes from the novels: the ticking of a pocket watch, the shuffling of a deck of cards, and the clattering of a tea set were reinvented in visual and sonic terms. With the use of microphones, a magnifying glass, and live video feeds, commonplace objects were brought to life, and a miniature stage was set in motion inside a toy piano.

Chen creates original multimedia compositions using toy pianos, music boxes, electronics, and video, presented in concert alongside works by prominent 20th century composers such as John Cage and Julia Wolfe. Dietz is a multimedia artist, VJ, and electroacoustic musician with an interest in generative audiovisual systems.