furniture music 2017
“I took to my room and let small things evolve slowly.” – Erik Satie
Artist Statement
French composer Erik Satie (1866-1925) coined the phrase “furniture music” in 1917 to describe background music played by live performers. His pieces of furniture music were very short works with an indefinite number of repeats.
Satie developed his minimalist music in radical response to the excesses of 19th-century German Romanticism. His Gymnopédies (1888) are often regarded as a precursor to modern ambient music. Satie’s last residence was a threadbare room that never saw a visitor during the 27 years that he lived there.
In thinking about Satie, I am also reflecting on solitude, memory, imagination, the philosophy of time, mortality, and the nature of cycles.
David Pohl is an award-winning illustrator and multimedia artist based in Pittsburgh, PA. He works out of the House of Pingting, an illustration and design studio that works with magazine and book publishers. Pohl has created illustrations for clients such as, The New York Times, Reader’s Digest, Time, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, Notre Dame Alumni Magazine, and many more.
In addition to illustration, Pohl also works with video. His videos are meant to explore the physicality of recorded sound. In his installations, Pohl works with layers of graphic elements to explore themes of acceptance and social justice.
Pohl received his BFA from The Cleveland Institute of Art. His work has been exhibited throughout the United States including, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Pittsburgh, PA; The Illustration Gallery, New York; and The Society of Illustrators Museum, New York, among others.