Doug An Inter-Media Enjambment

Doug
An Inter-Media Enjambment

Nov 10, 2023 – Apr 28, 2024
Doug is a Video and Sound Installation by Bufffluxus, an ensemble composed of musicians, vocalists and artists focused on exploring and developing the ideas and long and short forms proposed by the New Music, Fluxus and Dada art movements. Doug can best be described as an Inter-Media Enjambment (in literature a continuation of a sentence or idea without interruption) that was created using various methods of Indeterminacy (the act of relying on elements of chance and interpretation where aspects of the work are left open to the interpreter’s free choice.)

The story of Doug is a nostalgic fantasy concerning a pet rodent that was purchased by well-meaning parents to teach their children how to be responsible and care for others. As often happens, there is a break in communication and Doug’s cage is left open. Being of the age where curiosity makes one less aware of their environment, Doug wanders in search of comfort in matters of the heart. He quickly learns his pursuits are best served by relying on indeterminacy and an enjambment of ideas and disciplines. His attraction to chance, abstraction and aspirational thought lead to a variety of emotional adventures that can be thought of as both provocative and ridiculous at the same time. Doug finds himself in a world of inter-media where indeterminacy and predetermined destination has led him to a nostalgic fantasy where he discovers aliens living in Target stores. Surviving on milkshakes and treacherous plants Doug lives in a world of thought whose story of abstraction are indiscernible to the audience.

Text for Doug is by Michael Basinski, with video and animations by Andrew Deutsch and music by Don Metz. Collaborators created work independently which was jammed together during an editing process. Performers include violinist David Adamczyk, guitarist Sonny Baker, vocalist Michael Basinski , bassist David Benders, guitarist Don Metz, percussionist John Smigielski and vocalists Kristen Smigielski and Kevin Thurston.