DO WHAT I WANT
THE EXPERIMENTAL WORLD OF ARTHUR RUSSELL
May 1-14, 2017
Beloved in New York’s downtown music scene but relatively obscure outside of it, Arthur Russell was an experimental composer, cellist, singer, and electro-pop pioneer whose collaborators included Philip Glass and Allen Ginsberg. When he died of AIDS-related complications in 1992, the prolific artist left behind an extensive catalog of unpublished recordings that, in the 25 years since, have firmly established him as an unsung visionary in the American music world.
This interdisciplinary program organized at BAM featured a film screening, an epic musical performance and the first-ever exhibition bringing together Russell’s scores, notes, and intimate practice tapes, accompanied by a film screening, musical tribute, and in-depth conversation.
Co-organized by:
Nicole Will, independent curator, Jonathan Hiam, curator, American Music Collection and the Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
Arthur Russell Concert
BAMCafe Live
April 22, 2017
In conjunction with Do What I Want: Selections from the Arthur Russell Papers, this evening of Russell’s serious and popular music was organized by BAM and performed in honor of the late artist. The evening-length concert features New York-based artists and Russell collaborators Mustafa Ahmed, Ernie Brooks, Peter Gordon, Bill Ruyle, Peter Zummo, and special guests Joyce Bowden, Sophia Brous, Meaghan Burke, Max Gordon, and Ned Sublette.
Arthur Russell on Film
A twin tribute to composer and avant-garde visionary Arthur Russell: the dreamily impressionistic documentary Wild Combination screens alongside a rare Russell performance captured on video.
Post-show and screening panel discussion with the following guests:
Matt Wolf - Director of Wild Combination
Steve Knutson - Owner, Audika Records
Tom Lee - Arthur Russell’s partner
Jonathan Hiam - Co-curator of Do What I Want: Selections from the Arthur Russell Papers
Moderated by Nicole Will - Co-curator of Do What I Want: Selections from the Arthur Russell Papers