Project Statement

by B. Chaplin

The book “Mill River – River Mill” consists of three parts. The first part examines the history of Connecticut mills and towns using technical and social references found in the local textile museum in Willimantic in Connecticut. Willimantic’s nickname was “Thread City.” This textual and diagrammatic information was paired with background photographic images of the rivers taken from random bridges and river overlooks. The second part used photographs of the various mills taken with a cheap plastic camera. These softly distorted images were paired with song titles on FM radio that were playing at the time the photographs were taken. The last section paired photographs with random music tracks taken from a CD of composer John Cage’s piano works.

Mill River - River Mill

Bob Chaplin

Agents

Bob Chaplin

type: initiating

role:
artist
author
photographer

dates:
birth: single 1947

Visual Studies Workshop Press

type: initiating

role:
publisher

Publication Information

dates:
publication: 1997-00-00

publication history: This book was part of the major collaborative arts project "Landscape/Land Use" meant to open a discussion with regard to treatment of the land. [T. Shaw]

Aesthetic Profile

movement:
post-conceptual (AAT)
popular culture (AAT)

subject:
ecological Art (AAT)

themes: Production and the environment [T. Shaw]

content form:
documentary (local)
music score (local)

publication tradition:
artists' book (local)

inspiration: Textile towns [T. Shaw]

other influences: John Cage [T. Shaw]

community: other Visual Studies Workshop [T. Shaw]

note: Produced during an artist residency at Visual Studies Workshop [T. Shaw]