“Verticality, iconography and permanence, and when you have those three things in a building, people quickly respond.”

Investigating the nature of memory and resonance within architecture and place, Terminus weaves a tapestry of taped telephone conversations with those who once worked in Buffalo’s grand Art Deco New York Central Terminal in a time when rail travel in Buffalo was second only to Chicago. The final train passed through the station in 1979. Despite the building being added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, the structure stands abandoned with an uncertain future. In 1997 The Central Terminal Restoration Corporation was formed in an attempt to secure a future for this magnificent structure.

The architects Alfred T. Fellheimer and Steward Wagner of the Fellheimer & Wagner firm built the station to be large enough to accommodate over 3,200 passengers every hour and 1500 employees back in its heyday. Construction began in 1927 and opened to the public in 1929. It cost the New York Central Railroad line over fourteen million dollars to complete this masterpiece. The lead architect Fellheimer designed many famous train stations in the US including Grand Central in New York City and the Cincinnati Union Terminal in Ohio.

This work was made during an International Digital Filmmaker Residency at Squeaky Wheel Film and Media Arts Center, Buffalo, NY

Terminus

an audio work by Esther Johnson
25' · 2014

'Plunge, Flip, Bump and Score' refers to the common features of a traditional pinball machine, the mechanics used in order to win. Pinball machines are a symbol of nostalgic Americana yet there is still a dedicated community of pinball players who compete in tournaments around the world.

Pinball might conjure up nostalgic images of dusty seaside arcades, but talk to a pinball expert and you will soon be reminded that pinball is a serious game. Random and never the same twice, it pits a player’s skill and patience against the machine. Johnson visits the UK Vintage Pinball Parlour to explore the world of analogue machines in an age of digital gaming.

A Dreamlands commission for Radio Arts

http://www.radioarts.org.uk/
http://blanchepictures.com/plunge-flip-bump-score/

Plunge, Flip, Bump and Score

an audio work by Esther Johnson
12' · 2013

'88 Keys' is a poetic montage reflecting on the increased disposal of pianos. The work weaves the tortured sounds of the destruction of one piano, with thoughts from the proprietor of London’s last traditional piano factory, and a series of previous piano owners.

A symbol of nostalgia for the past, longevity, craft and art, pianos are large, heavy and expensive to tune and it is often cheaper to buy a new one than renovate. People increasingly have no room for them in their lives. Removal companies are now turning their trade to disposal and recycling, with many of the instruments destroyed being 80–90 years from a period when pianos became mass marketed. The majority are considered ‘low-grade’ and can no longer be tuned to modern concert pitch.

This programme examines why such analogue instruments are permanently being silenced and whether the cultural relevance of pianos may be fading.

A Sound Bank Commission for In The Dark
http://www.inthedarkradio.org/sound-bank/grant-winners/
http://blanchepictures.com/88-keys/


88 Keys

UK-based artist and filmmaker · lover of creative radio docs and audio storytelling.


Blanche Pictures

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