4 feet and 33 inches (2009)

For the full video:
http://www.christofmigone.com/html/projects_gallery/4feetand33inches.html

John Cage has referred to his famed 1952 composition 4'33" as a work that could be pronounced either 'four minutes, thirty-three seconds' or 'four feet, thirty-three inches'. In this performance I attempt to pronounce 4'33" both ways simultaneously by sawing a piece of 4"x4"x8' cedar into 4 feet and 33 inches where the sawing of one end marks the beginning of the count towards 4 minutes and 33 seconds. Once the time set by the composition has ended the sawing of the other end begins. The three movements within the piece (0'33", 2'40", 1'20") are marked by nicks of the saw in the wood. Towards the end of the performance you will notice my impromptu attempts to bypass my poor sawing skills and the fact that I had the wrong-sized saw.

Performed first at the Sala Rossa in Montreal as part of the Suoni per il Popolo on June 25, 2009.

Recorded by the CBC, producer Scott Tresham, recording engineers Pierre Léger assisted by Pierre Dulong.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Christof
• Migone
• John
• Cage
• performance
• sound
• art