Alan Licht Knihy

Over the past century, an art form has emerged that draws from the worlds of visual art and music. Sound art’s roots can be found in the experimental work of Italian Futurism, Dada, and later the Fluxus group and the pioneering efforts of the American composer and artist John Cage. In the wake of this groundbreaking work, sound art began to mature into a movement, and artists explored the interactive possibilities of sound and in turn created entirely new modes of experiencing and engaging with art. In this volume, the complete story of sound art is told by one of the country’s leading critics and scholars. The author traces the history of this form of art–highlighting the convergence of the indie world bands such as Sonic Youth with the art world–looking at the critical cross-pollination that has led to some of the most important and challenging art being produced today, including work by Christian Marclay, LaMonte Young, Janet Cardiff, Rodney Graham, and Laurie Anderson, among many others.

For the past 30 years, Alan Licht has been a key figure in New York's art and music scenes, recognized for his dry wit, deep knowledge, and unique perspective as a guitarist in experimental music and underground rock. A graduate of Vassar College in 1990, Licht had already published significant articles on minimalist composers and collaborated with notable artists like Rashied Ali and Thurston Moore. In 1999, he became a regular contributor to the British magazine the Wire, while also writing for various publications, from art glossies to underground fanzines. This collection features a selection of previously unpublished interviews, many conducted while Licht was writing his influential profiles, along with extended conversations, untranscribed public exchanges, and new dialogues created for this volume. Even the notoriously elusive Lou Reed was impressed by Licht's interviewing skills. The book includes interviews with a diverse range of artists, such as Vito Acconci, ANOHNI, Cory Arcangel, Matthew Barney, Glenn Branca, Rhys Chatham, Tony Conrad, and many others, showcasing Licht's ability to engage with adventurous figures across genres.