MARCUS FISCHER

Marcus Fischer is an artist whose work resonates through sounds, images, and deep conceptual thought. Fischer’s installations integrate antiquated technologies, such as reel-to-reel audio tape and raw speaker elements. The striking balance of sound and vision in Fischer’s works stands out among his peers. While most artists favor one side of the audio-visual coin over the other, each of Fischer’s works holds strength both visually and sonically, with no signs of one necessarily serving the other. Rather, the elements blend in harmony.

Untitled (Words of Concern) was created at the Rauschenberg Residency in Captiva, FL, and first presented on the day of the 2017 presidential inauguration. Artists-in-residence and staff were invited to record “their voices as they listed their words of concern regarding the incoming administration.” These words were edited and played via a 3-minute tape loop. In Untitled..., one hears recorded voices speaking of concerns for individual freedom and protection, while unseen participants express fears about racism, homophobia, and other cultural, ecological, and personal values they feel may be sacrificed or lost. The reel-to-reel machine and audio tape loop function as striking visuals, forming a minimalist structure with no backdrop except the room and its acoustic response. The tape goes up to the ceiling and back, uniquely creating a suspension device for the take-up reel that spins as the tape moves through it. The take-up reel also carries a reflective mirror which reflects the viewer/listener’s image, implicating the individual and prompting them to consider their role as these words echo through the gallery space. Fischer writes in the project description, “Our words have power.” Untitled (Words of Concern) was included in the 2019 Whitney Biennial and subsequently acquired by the Whitney Museum. The work speaks to the moment it was made, while also serving as a prescient historical document that captures a sentiment of fear and anxiety about the future.

A work that also refers to sound, yet remains silent, is Twenty-Seven Tones, also created in 2017. Twenty-seven brass tuning forks are displayed in an array. Each instrument is a variation of the other, having been sandcast as a near copy of the previous one. The visible variations and evidence of decay on each tuning fork reference sound, which resounds and then fades, but also generation and individual loss. Fischer writes, “The process of sand-casting each fork in brass results in minor flaws and shifts in the geometry of the form. What is lost and what is passed down from generation to generation of these copies is highlighted and brought out through the act of polishing each one before it is duplicated again.”

Mass from 2022 is perhaps less “quiet” than other works in Fischer’s canon but just as impactful. Much like Untitled (Words of Concern), Mass generates a punch. It is a work laced with threat and anxiety. Twelve raw speakers are positioned on industrial concrete pedestals, with bullet casings placed on the surface of each speaker. The speaker cones come to life individually and as an ensemble. Motion is determined by data collected on mass shootings in the United States, numerous tragic events that took place throughout 2022. The speakers serve as witnesses and resonators, their surfaces vibrating, setting the bullet shells into visual and audible motion. The work asks us to consider what these actions (dancing bullets, bouncing off the surface of each speaker) represent — the prevalence of mass shootings in America. The rattling speakers move from quiet to gently rhythmic, then near deafening, as the data output reflects strikes of increasing violence. Sounds build, and the bullets move faster and more frequently. Once again, in experiencing Mass, we are asked to consider where we stand in relation to the actions taking place around us.

Anyone interested in Marcus Fischer’s body of work is also encouraged to listen to his audio recordings and seek out his performances (live or through documentation). Fischer’s beautiful performance from the 2019 Whitney Biennial is easily found online. As with the installations, every aspect of the staging is carefully considered. The performance holds a balance of structure and improvisation. A ring of effects pedals is laid out as a frame surrounding the performer (Fischer), as he moves from instrument to instrument, setting forth sonic loops and musical phrases. Sounds captured in the moment are played back from effects pedals as well as a physical tape loop, which circulates from floor to ceiling. The resulting sounds and actions are elegant and musical. Textured tones and brief melodies rise and fall like ocean waves, enveloping the audience. As the light of day fades outside the Whitney’s glass windows, the view of the city and river is visually transformed and momentarily embraced.

There are unifying materials and approaches in the works described above as well as many others that Fischer has produced. There are also unique compositional systems conceived of for each project. Tape is often the chosen means of transport, chosen for its sonic qualities but also as a stand-in for situations that are ephemeral. Each piece holds a balance of tension and space. There is heartfelt poetry and life in each of Fischer’s installations, inviting us to think with sensitivity and attention and to look and listen with open eyes and ears.