Hans Tammen Endangered Guitar Page

John Jannone's video consists of two elements; a live camera mix, and processing of digital still images. Up to 10 miniature cameras are mounted on and around the table-top guitar and it's mechanical devices; these cameras feed two digital video switchers which Jannone controls from his laptop computer using custom software. The laptop also contains a collection of still images taken from a variety of texts on weaving; weaving diagrams are visual metaphor of the piece, linking mathematics, hand craft, the strings of the guitar, and images which suggest musical notation. Jannone controls the progression of these images in a performative manner, and blends them in a variety of ways with the live camera images.

The pulse of image transitions gradually increases over the duration of this almost 45-minute work; beginning with sustained individual images which present the visual vocabulary of the piece, progressing to video-rate sequencing of images processed using software feedback to produce lush cascades of images.

The color palette of the piece is restrained; the weaving images are all black-and-white line drawings, and the live cameras produce muted hues in the mottled light provided by a single ETC Source-4 lighting instrument, projecting a fine breakup pattern focused on the guitar table.

Multichannel Performance

In an April 2006 performance on Stephan Moore's 16 channel sound system, mounted on the ceiling at Issue Project Room (www.issueprojectroom.org), sounds are drawn from multiple pickups and processed with Hans Tammen's own custom software. An unusual take on guitar-based software control, two independent voices produce micropolyphonic patterns from above, juxtaposed with a mono motif from the back of the audience.