In this episode, of Lisson ON AIR Art & Language (Michael Baldwin and Mel Ramsden) talk with Lisson Gallery’s Hana Noorali and Ossian Ward about its  40-year collaboration with the Red Krayola, a proto-punk band founded in Houston by Mayo Thompson. They discuss the largely improvised performances, the themes that went into these recordings – covering everything from conceptual art and activism to politics and philosophical thought – as well as how the first songs were written in residency at Robert Rauschenberg’s studio on Captiva Island, Florida, but only after Michael was detained by the CIA for carrying sensitive communist propaganda.

Combining text from these tracts, as well as from their Index 01, exhibited at Documenta 5 in Kassel in 1972, Art & Language provided the lyrics that were sung or chanted by, among others, Michael Baldwin, Ian Burn, Kathryn Bigelow, Charles Harrison, Pauline Harrison, Sandra Harrison, Christine Kozlov, Lynn Lemaster, Philip Pilkington, Mel Ramsden and Mayo Thompson. Having released many albums with Red Krayola since 1976, Art & Language continue to develop this extension of their practice in advance of a performance in New York this September.

Track List:

The Red Krayola with Art & Language, Gross and Conspicuous Error #8, 1976
Art & Language, Mayo Thompson, Jesse Chamberlain
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSJ7XwawZOc


The Red Crayola with Art & Language, Keep All Your Friends from Kangaroo?, 1981
Art & Language, Allen Ravenstine, Ben Annesley, Gina Birch, Lora Logic, Mayo Thompson, Epic Soundtracks
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_Ga7COGUn0

The Red Crayola with Art & Language, Portrait of V.I Lenin in the Style of Jackson Pollock, pt.1&2 from Kangaroo?, 1981
Art & Language, Allen Ravenstine, Ben Annesley, Gina Birch, Lora Logic, Mayo Thompson, Epic Soundtracks
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzlW3q1g9gY

The Red Crayola with Art & Language, Sighs Trapped by Liars, from Sighs Trapped by Liars, 2007 
Art & Language, Elisa Randazzo, Sandy Yang-singers, Tom Watson,  Mayo Thompson, Jim O'Rourke, Noel Kupersmith, John McEntire-drums
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JrbXylij9k

The Red Krayola with Art & Language from Gross & Conspicuous Errors, 1976
Art & Language, Kathryn Bigelow, Mayo Thompson, Jesse Chamberlain
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6cnevh5bPc

The Red Krayola with Art & Language from Gross & Conspicuous Errors, 1976
Art & Language, Kathryn Bigelow, Mayo Thompson, Jesse Chamberlain
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwT892J7STs

Art & Language, Postscript To SDS' Infiltration, Music-Language: Corrected Slogans, 176
Art & Language, Jesse Chamberlain, Mayo Thompson, Colin Bateman, Thomas Duffy, Wieslaw Woszczyk, Sandra Harrison, Pauline Harrison, and Lynn Lemaster.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH0_WE_kkp0

The Red Krayola with Art & Language from Gross & Conspicuous Errors, 1976
Art & Language, Mayo Thompson, Jesse Chamberlain
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwT892J7STs

Lisson...ON AIR is written and presented by Hana Noorali

Art & Language and The Red Krayola

Just a music lover, born & bred. Not a big soundcloud user but it helps getting as close to the LIVE experience as possible.

Lisson...  ON AIR, is a series of podcasts that will mostly be recorded from the gallery's London location. Episodes will include readings, music and engagement with the gallery's extensive archive, as well as contributions from Lisson Gallery artists. 

www.lissongallery.com