This is how Nochta snagged her victims -er- subjects.
Everyone likes music on some level. I mean, come on - we're alive, we're human beings and we have emotions.
Photographer Lindsey Nochta set out to find those who are beyond the casual music listener. She's had her sights fixed on the kind of people who can't seem to talk about anything else; who strive for perfection in their own musicianship; or who are so knee-deep in their music habits, they don't even recognize how important it is...like breathing.
Once Nochta had her subjects, here's what happened:
- Each person filled out a survey, naming songs that stirred different emotions (sadness, elation, anger, nostalgia, etc.)
- CD's of the listed songs were burned for each person
- She took photos while they listened to their songs
Easy stuff, right? Turns out, participants got in a little over their heads. Which, in my opinion, is often how good art happens.
From what I heard, the photo sessions were more like a visit to a
therapist than a fun time. Think about it. You start off giddy, wanting
to get up and shake your ass around, then you're listening to your
number one break-up song, fighting tears and then you suddenly
switch to a song that reminds you of the summer between 3rd and 4th
grade when you kissed a boy with your slimy pre-adolescent tongue.
Ugh. All that in about 15 minutes? I feel nauseated just thinking about it.
Nochta
tells me all that stuff went down - there was dancing, crying and some
drunkenness (she cleverly provided a little booze). I don't know about
you, but any night that I feel like dancing and end up as the drunk girl who cries is a pretty rough night.
I tip my hat to her and her participants
for really pushing the project to that level.
Lindsey
Nochta's photographs are up at Modified Arts, 407 E. Roosevelt in
Phoenix with an artist reception tonight at 7 p.m. Call 602-462-5516 or
visit modified.org.
In the interest of full disclosure, I know Lindsey Nochta on a personal level, outside of the art scene.
-- Lilia Menconi
