Barbara Hashimoto: Shredded Junk Mail w/Grand Piano

Loading...
View R. PRODUCTIONS' map
Taken in a place with no name (See more photos or videos here)

Shredded Junk Mail with Grand Piano

Barbara Hashimoto collected and hand-shredded the junk mail that came to her studio address for an entire year. At year's end she had 3,000 cubic feet of shredded material. Her labor-intensive yet intimate process has inspired a series of sculptures, installations, performances, and collaborations including Shredded Junk Mail with Grand Piano with musician Edward Torrez and videographer Eric Hoffhines.

At the commencement of the performance, an imposing pile of this shredded unsolicited material was amassed in the center of the performance space. As Torrez played on the concert grand piano, Hashimoto transferred her stockpile of shredded junk mail until it fully engulfed both musician and instrument. Her movements, initially
deliberate and calm, grew into a frenzied crescendo and then into meditative resignation. Buried in paper, Torrez continued to play, his final melodic lullabies muffled by the hundreds of pounds of paper entombing the piano.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Barbara
• Hashimoto
• Shredded
• Junk
• Mail
• Grand
• Piano
• R.
• Productions

[squeezelemons]

I get so much junk mail I have a bin for it that I empty once a week. What a waste, sad really.

[starkthelark]

I have a fireplace so in the winter I use my junk mail to light my fire. Or I use it as stuffing when I pack and ship things. Never thought of shredding it though. Great idea.

[jonas9878]

fgfgfgf

[simonmitchellbird]

as one does

[rockandbisous]

I think she is amazing. Also the nicest person. I really liked this exhibit.

[drummerdannyguy]

the junk mail epidemic is sickening to say the least. but here you see, in a very creative way, just how intrusive this whole nasty business of paper promotion is. it should be banned like smoking in public places. bravo to Barbara Hashimoto!

[Reaperpig]

So we play on while advertisers dump endless amounts of paper on our unsuspecting heads. Sigh. Gets me mad.  Wonderful video-thank you!

[rayzuninthesun]

The pianist certainly represents the "everyman" getting dumped on by these advertisers that really don't care about our right to privacy.

[candymandygal]

Finally! Someone is doing something useful with their junk mail. This is tragically beautiful.