Published: October 02, 2008

“Looking at Music” is an innovative and interesting take on the role of music in the art world. Visitors can view the art, but the exhibit is also an interactive experience in that they can watch music videos while wearing headphones. The works on view are taken primarily from the ’60s and ’70s—for example, the show is full of images and memorabilia of the Beatles–but don’t let this scare you away from seeing the show.  The diversity of the art on show is meant to put us out of our element and to let us see music a different way.

As soon as you step into the gallery, you come face to face with a video by Yoko Ono of John Lennon. The image never changes and serves as a haunting reminder of his influence in both the art and music worlds. Nearby you see an old-fashioned television covered in plastic pearls, created by German artist Otto Piene. Another great piece is “Self-Playing Violin” by musician and graphic artist Laurie Anderson:  a miniature violin that is freestanding, while music plays from a tiny speaker inside of it.

The music videos that you can see and hear at the show aren’t the most contemporary nor the most popular, but it is clear how art influenced them. The video “Secret Agent Man,” by Devo, looks like a homemade tape recorded by a teenage band. All of the band members wear clown masks as they perform and the filmmaker employs a shaky camera technique—making it seem odd.

Another video, “Lip Sync,” by Bruce Nauman, has the singer repeatedly saying the words “lip sync” as we view only his mouth in black and white. The similarity between “Lip Sync” and nearby music video “Come Out,” by Steve Reich, is obvious as Reich’s composition also uses repetitive lyrics with the singer saying, “come out, shoulder, shoulder.” We may not ordinarily consider this music because there are no instruments and no entertaining beats. Reich seems more interested in the sounds and rhythms that can be produced by the human voice alone. This makes us consider what music can be–thus placing this piece more firmly in the realm of art, rather than popular music.

There are also two music videos by more popular artists—David Bowie and The Beatles. The David Bowie video is called “Space Oddity,” wherein the singer has bright orange hair and makeup. The video is very evocative of outer space, with images of bright lights popping up continuously. Considering the lyrical content of the song—the story of astronaut Major Tom, who dies on a mission—this seems quite appropriate.

The Beatles’ “Penny Lane” video is in black and white and features the group, dressed all in black and with full mustaches, riding white horses throughout England. At first, they are riding throughout the city, but in the middle of the video, they find a table complete with its own tea set in the countryside where they sit down and have tea. When you hear this song, you might expect a romantic, sentimental video. But its unexpected quirks are what elevates the video to a new level.

Overall, this exhibit succeeds in getting us to reconsider the popular art form of the music video in more serious terms.  Even if you aren’t particularly interested in modern art, or if you think that the art is weird, look into it more deeply: you may start to understand it. It may even make you take an interest in David Bowie or Steve Reich. So instead of listening to music on your iPod, go see “Looking at Music” at the MoMA.