Block Cinema: Sisters with Transistors

40 Arts Circle Drive,Evanston IL 60208

27 January, 2022

Description

An eye- (and ear-) opening survey of the 20th century’s most inventive, overlooked electronic music composers–who all happen to be women SISTERS WITH TRANSISTORS (Lisa Rovner, 2020, 84 min, DCP digital) SISTERS WITH TRANSISTORS presents an eye- (and ear-) opening survey of some of the 20th century’s most inventive and overlooked electronic music composers–who all happen to be women. Director Lisa Rovner draws on rarely-seen archival footage and incisive interviews to craft portraits of ten artists, from theremin virtuoso Clara Rockmore to modular synth pioneer Suzanne Ciani, who created new horizons of sound. Narrated by Laurie Anderson, SISTERS WITH TRANSISTORS is both an overdue corrective to male-dominated histories of experimental music, and a primer on the waves of technological and social transformation that brought electronic sound from the fringes of the avant-garde to the forefront of popular culture. Following the screening, the Block will host a discussion between Jes Skolnik, senior editor of Bandcamp Daily, and Jennifer Iverson, associate professor of music at the University of Chicago and author of Electronic Inspirations: Technologies of the Cold War Avant-Garde. Presented with support from the Sound Arts and Industries program at Northwestern University. Free and open to all The Block Museum is Northwestern University’s art museum. The Block is a dynamic, imaginative, and innovative teaching and learning resource for Northwestern and its surrounding communities, featuring a global exhibition program that crosses time periods and cultures and serves as a springboard for thought-provoking discussions relevant to our lives today. The museum also commissions new work by artists to foster connections between artists and the public through the creative process. Each year, the Block mounts exhibitions; organizes and hosts lectures, symposia, and workshops involving artists, scholars, curators, and critics; and screens classic and contemporary films at its in-house cinema. The museum also reaches national and international audiences through its traveling exhibitions, publications and website. Its growing permanent collection of approximately 5,000 works focuses primarily on prints, photography, and drawings. The Museum is located on the southeastern portion of Northwestern's Evanston campus, near the lake and Sheridan Road. Parking is FREE after 4PM on weekdays and all day on weekends. The nearest parking garage is located at the Segal Visitor's Center on Campus Drive.  The Block is free and open to all.