Sunday, April 28, 2012 Hugh Musick Departs the High-stakes World of Collage with Flourish
(Chicago, IL) Intrigued with Pinterest, a site that seems very of the moment, Hugh Musick brought to a conclusion his 15 year run of collage making in a marathon session running 25 days during which he produced 100 digital collages. With the completion of the 100th work, Musick announced to no one in particular that he was officially retired. The Last 100 can be seen at: http://pinterest.com/hughmusick/chairman-of-the-bored/
Monday, April 23, 2012 A Passing Fancy: A Moleskine Novella
(Chicago, IL) One Moelskine notebook's worth of color photocopies of antique cigarette cards and accompanying story.. View at: A Passing Fancy
Monday, November 19, 2011 The Teeth of the Hydra Upon You: A MoleskineMeditation
(Chicago, IL) One Moelskine notebook's worth of oil pastel on newspaper collages with accompanying contemplations. View atTeeth of Hydra
Sunday, October 23, 2011 Bozos
(Chicago, IL) Thanks to generosity and wonderful photographic eye of Ms. Elizabeth (Slabaugh) Rolewicz, Hugh Musick's site specific installation in the Chicago Office of Tourism on Randolph Street back in 2008 finally sees the light of day! Bozos
Sunday, March 26, 2011 Box of Wondes: Samples from Video Projection Experiments
(Chicago, IL) Two minutes of moving images collage and the beginning of a whole new direction. Box of Wonder
Sunday, February 28, 2011 Specimen: Record of a Collecting Journey
(Chicago, IL) One Moleskine notebook's worth of insect collages with random "facts" at Specimen
Sunday, December 5, 2010 Under Observation: A Moleskine Novella
(Chicago, IL) One Moleskine notebook's worth of watercolor and pen drawings can be viewed at: Under Observation
Sunday, May 30, 2010 Octopus Cloud Swing
(Chicago, IL) One Moleskine notebook's worth of watercolor and pen drawings can be viewed at Octopus Cloud Swing.
Saturday, October 3, 2009 More Compulsion Gives More Rise to Another Book of Meaningless Artwork
(Chicago, IL) More silouttes. This time in color. They can be seen at Baffling Airs.
Sunday, September 13, 2009 Compulsion Gives Rise to Book of Meaningless Artwork
(Chicago, IL) Haunted and tortured by his inability to fill a single Moleskine notebook with anything more worthy than a shopping or "to do" list, Hugh Musick the bon vivant hermit of Champs Elysées spent nine evenings otherwise reserved for quality television viewing and snacking on completing one such book. The result is Cold Wave, a collection of 40 hand-cut sillouttes against blank lined notebook pages. Musick deemed it a quality waste of time. Select images can be seen at Cold Wave.
December 25, 2008, Ash on Snow, Ephemeral work, Chicago, Illinois
Conceived by Hugh Musick and realized on Christmas Day 2008 on the Lake Michigan shoreline in Chicago. Best viewed using Flickr's slideshow feature: http://www.flickr.com/photos/29031051@N04/sets/72157611588018571/
October 1-3, 2008 Paper Boats, a site-specific participatory artwork, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
Conceived by Hugh Musick and realized on October 1 through October 3 at the Participatory Design Conference 2008 held at Indiana University. Best viewed using Flickr's slideshow feature: http://www.flickr.com/photos/29031051@N04/sets/72157607677164139/
February 21-22, 2009 Man Ponders Why Literary-minded Chickens Lay Eggs in His Typewriter
A man who may or may not be Hugh Musick or one variation of him awoke to find eggs nesting in the cradle of his typewriter. The discovery was both provocative and disturbing and he exploited the discovery to his advantage, only to be undone by his own folly. See at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/29031051@N04/sets/72157617666417072/show/
Saturday, January 25, 2008 Chicago Couple Looking to Purchase Artwork Get A Little Hot Air
(Chicago, IL) A local couple who shall remain nameless, but whose car interior may be even more filthy than my own commissioned artist Hugh Musick to re-create his 1998 correspondence art piece, A Week's Worth of Sighs for their fabulous, newly-constructed home. Working with the model-making legend, Edward Koizumi, the final piece immortalizes Musick's momentary water-vapor-bourne sigh-inducing emotions during a week in December 2007 and now sits mounted to the wall of a new home on Chicago's North Side. See A Week's Worth of Sighs (photo courtesy of Edward Koizumi).
Monday December 17, 2007 Dubious Authority Writes Article for Magazine Too Good for Him
(Palo Alto, CA) Against their better judgement, the editors of Ambidextrous included an article on the processes used by pioneers of camouflage in its Winter 2008 "Spy" issue authored by oafish know-it-all recluse and bon vivant, Hugh Musick. Perhaps out of a sense of pity for the author and his poorly written ravings, the editors not only dressed it up but made it beautiful looking too. Musick, who has been alternately described as "incorrigibly intolerable" and "intolerably incorrigible" is noted to have said, "This article looks nice...too nice.This ain't gonna cost me extra is it?" Those wanting to learn of early disruptive patterns can do so at their own peril at Dazzlin' Camouflage.
Saturday October 6, 2007 Clark Street Bridge Percussion Orchestra, Chicago, Illinois
Artist Hugh Musick and composer Eric Roth drew a large and enthusiastic crowd of participants for the premiere of The Clark Street Bridge Percussion Orchestra, a site-specific installation conceived by Musick with original music by Eric Roth. See Clark Street Bridge for a wonderful collection of photographs submitted by participants, along with sound files and other links.
Saturday July 21, 2007-September 2, 2007 Installation at The Nature of Art Exhibition, Lubeznik Center for Arts, Michigan City, Indiana
Artist Hugh Musick combines the ancient japanese art of origami with crude oil for a potentially (literally) explosive installation called Harbingers. This is Musick's first foray into the areas of paper folding and hazardous chemicals. The Lubeznik Center for the Arts is located at 101 2nd Street, Michigan City, Indiana. See Harbingers.
Saturday February 3, 2007-Master of Ceremony Rides Wave of Indifference into February
(The Chronicle of Higher Education) Never one to pass up an opportunity to stand before an audience who would rather be elsewhere especially on a frigid winter night, Hugh Musick served as the barely tolerated Master of Ceremony for The Heart Wanted What it Wanted, an evening of readings at the Uptown Writers Space. The wan and fetching proprietesses of the venue described it as such: "Our beloved master of ceremonies, Hugh Musick, managed to create an inspiring work of aeronautical poetry incorporating phrases written on paper air planes thrown at him by the audience." A bitter Musick remarked, "The resulting text was quite good, but would have been even better with an audience that could have worked itself into some approximation of caring." see words on wing.
Saturday December 16, 2006-Mamma Mia! in Miniature Takes Street Corner by Storm
(The Chicago Reader) Employing an array of vintage marionettes sure to haunt the nightmares of children and adults alike, puppeteer-choreographer , Hugh Musick has recreated on the corner of Milwaukee and Belmont Avenues the entire two-hour-plus original Broadway musical based on the music of Abba. Poised within a large cardboard box that looks as if it at one time housed a refrigerator, Musick manipulates multiple puppets while a boombox set on the sidewalk blares the original cast recording. Musick moves his stringed actors with enthusiasm though without any apparent regard for the music or any conventional notions of choreography. "I thought he might be having a seizure in there by the way those puppets jerked and moved," commented one curious on-looker. " Local businessman, Stanislaw Myzricki added, "Crazy man in box must turn down radio or I call police." The show takes place most Saturday nights between 2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. Ample seating available on the sidewalk. Suggested donation: $65 per "ticket."
Thursday July 27, 2006- Story Bush (magnolia fabula) Installation at The Lincoln Park Conservatory, Chicago
Hugh Musick, artist and self-proclaimed editorial horticulturalist, began work June 28 on an installation called Story Bush ( Magnolia fabula) on display in the foyer of The Chicago Park District's Lincoln Park Conservatory. Musick is writing an original 255-line narrative poem onto the leaves of a Star Magnolia bush. In autumn, he will gather the word and phrase-covered leaves as they fall from the bush and transcribe a poem determined entirely by the change of season. The Lincoln Park Conservatory is located at 2391 N. Stockton Drive. The work is on display until November 1. See Story Bush .
Wednesday June 1, 2006- Chicago Man Organizes Potluck Lunch
for U.N. (The Chicago Tribune)
(Reuters) "If we cannot find commonground on the pressing
issues of the day, there is at least one thing we can agree upon: Belarus
makes some wicked blinis." Thus, was the summary delivered by Ahmed
Burakis, Turkey's representative to the United Nations during Monday's
session of the Security Council meeting following the international organization's
first-ever potluck lunch. Diplomats concurred, loosening belts and audibly
sighing with drowsy satisfaction. The lunch, the brain-child of Hugh Musick,
author of the beloved children's book, Afikoman for Kofi Annan,
created a notable sense of excitement among representatives of the world's
nations.
Beginning around 11:15 a.m., all sessions were halted so that delegates could retrieve dishes from refrigerators to reheat in microwaves. Interns worked tirelessly arranging the buffet on long folding tables ringing the U.N. cafeteria. In a creative touch that embodies the spirit of the U.N., little flags were placed next to each nation's dish. After a brief statement from Secretary General, Annan reminding nations that he is not their mother and that they are responsible for washing their own platters, delegates lined up to eat. "I thought we were going to have to call in peace keeping forces to settle who would get Guatamala's last empanada," noted Canadian representative, Joan McCall. However, the gathering offered glimmers of hope as delegates of many Middle Eastern nations swarmed Israel's plate of falafels. Though generally viewed as an enormous success, Kyrgyzstan delegates seemed hurt that much of the central Asian nation's three-layer, goat cheese and air-dried horse meat casserole went untouched.
Friday, March 3, 2006 Musick Questioned in Meat-related Mishap at Concert (Northwest Suburban Pioneer Press)
(Schaumberg, IL) Puppeteer-turned-impresario, Hugh Musick was taken in for questioning by local law enforcement officials in connection with a stage prop malfunction during a performance by the Elmwood Park rock and roll band, The Gyros Girls. High winds had disrupted many of the acts performing earlier that day. Despite the conditions, Mr. Musick, the band's manager and image consultant insisted that the band's trademark, giant styrofoam spinning gyros meat log be installed on the stage behind them. Although witnesses report seeing the eight-feet-tall structure teeter throughout the band' opening number, Musick demanded they continue. Then as the band launched into its second song, Kalamata Love Affair, the giant ground beef and lamb facsimile toppled over knocking singer, Eleni Makros to the ground.Visibly shaken, the other band members stopped performing mid-song, helped the fallen singer to her feet and exited the stage. Local resident and volunteer firefighter, Don McCormick tended to the singer's injuries while Musick argued with the event's promoters over payment for the one-song performance. Musick then stormed off to his car where he was later found by local authorities sleeping. Lawyers for the band have named Mr. Musick in a wrongful injury suit. A court date has not yet been set.
See The Gyros Girls
Sunday, January 15, 2006 Le Revue Nouvelles Francaises Announces the Publication of Les Cahiers des Hugues Musick
(Le Figaro, Paris) The venerable French publisher announced the release of the notebooks of aspiring sousaphonist, Hugh Musick today. Gaston Eubert, RNF's Director speaking to the press stated that publication of Musick's notebooks marks a first for the one hundred year old company. "As far as I know this is the first time we have accepted a large sum of money to publish what is clearly a substandard work by a man who apparently has a great deal of money." He concluded his annoucement, "My wife and I are looking forward to buying ourselves a nice place to winter in St. Moritz." Facsimiles of Musick's musings within the pages of his notebooks can be seen at Cahiers. Musick is reported to have said that knows that the word "cahiers" is french for "notebooks" because he took three years of french in high school.He added that he can converse in the language haltingly and in the present tense only.
Wednesday June 1 - Thursday, June 30, 2005 Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs Open Studio Artist
Related article: Controversial "Neighborhoods" Project
Sparks Mild Protests (Super Saver Mailer)
(Chicago, IL) Residents of Chicago's Chinatown and Greektown voiced
slight annoyance with "artist" Hugh Musick's depictions of
their neighborhoods on display at The Open Studio at the corner of State
and Lake Streets. The large format postcards are the first in a series
of proposed works based on each of Chicago's seventy-four neighborhoods.
Chinatown Business Council President, Gregory Fong described Musick's
Chinatown piece as "sort of baffling." He added, "I'd
wouldn't be surprised to find out that he's never even been to our neighborhood."
Fong's comments may refer to Musick's dubious assertion that French
porcelain merchants were the neighborhood's original settlers. Marilyn
Kwan, the curator of the new Chinese Cultural Center noted, "Obviously,
he's confused porcelain dinnerware or 'china' with our connections with
the country, China.He'd probably benefit from a trip to our museum."
Similar sentiments were expressed by members of Chicago's Greektown community. Long-time resident, Eleni Tsaziki remarked, "I've lived in this neighborhood for seventy-seven years and have no idea what that guy is talking about." Musick stands by the claims he makes in his works but refuses to reveal his sources citing his protection under the artist/imaginary friend privelege. Works in progress may be seen at Neighborhoods.
Wednesday, April 26, 2005 Labor of Lunch Adorns Established Chicago
Eatery (Art News & Zagat Restaurant Guide)
(Chicago, IL) Patrons of Hot Doug's: The Sausage Superstore and Encased Meats Emporium were on hand for lunch last Saturday when Douglas Sohn, the Lorenzo de Medici of Encased Meats unveiled Critical Links: A History of Encased Meats a modern masterpiece of art and scholarship by Chicago confectionary afficianado, Hugh Musick. The two men met last year for the first time when Sohn caught Musick scavenging through the dumpster behind his restaurant. A scuffle ensued and soon enough through the intervention of Chicago's finest, a friendship blossomed. Seated in the backseat of a squad car the two men fell into conversation and discovered they shared a mutual fondness for culinary arcana.The following week Mr. Sohn sent Musick abroad to research the lineage of the venerable linked sausage. Together the two men dreamed of a work of epic proportions that would stand as the definitive document on the history of encased meats. Enduring an alarming rise in his cholesterol, Musick himself grew to epic proportions, but prevailed, producing Critical Links. So taken were visitors with the work last Saturday that many helped themselves to free refills at the soda dispenser. The work may be seen at Critical Links.
Wednesday, January 12 - Friday, January 14, 2005 Visiting Artist, The Spence School
(New York, NY) Enraged parents held a candlelight vigil to protest the arrival of erstwhile "artist" and puppeteer Hugh Musick to The Spence School located on New York's Upper East Side. Musick's opening lecture was greeted with jeers. Several rocks were hurled at his head during what students described as his indecipherable and painfully boring speech. Undeterred Musick threw rocks back at his audience and vowed that he would not think twice about sending all 200 students to the office of the Head Mistress. According to witnesses at least part of the confusion during his visit stemmed from Musick's incorrect impression that he was visiting a reform school for criminally-inclined young women.This is particularly evident in Musick's notes on a workshop he conducted with a group of fifth grade students. For further details see Miss Nelson's Class. Musick has been asked to never return to the school. Other than that, he considered the visit a smashing success.
Saturday, June 19, 2004 exercepted from Spirit of the Kerouc is Alive and Well at Beatfest '04 (San Francisco Examiner)
(San Francisco, CA) "...certainly the oddest moment of the night came when erstwhile puppeteer, Hugh Musick impersonating venerable rock and roll disc jockey, Wolfman Jack read the whole of Allen Ginsburg's poem Howl punctuating the reading with dead-on impersonations of Jack's trademark howl."
Friday, May 14, 2004 Musick Loses Parking Touch (Sports Illustrated)
(Chicago, IL) Long-known for being unrivaled in the world of competitve parallel parking, well-known Chicago recluse, Hugh Musick has somehow lost his touch. Astounded spectators notably gasped when Musick botched a simple spot with ample fore and aft space during time trials in Raleigh-Durham last week. Since then things have gone from bad to worse, as Musick dropped out the top five posting in Anaheim this past Tuesday after landing his vehicle a wretched eighteen inches from the curb. The question on followers' minds is: Will Musick be able to retain his lucrative endorsement deals if he continues this downward slide? Rumors are beginning to circulate about some darker aspect of Musick's past, including his addiction to Vick's Vap-o-Rub. Still, observers say this may just be a rough patch in an otherwise stellar career. Musick will have an opportunity to prove them right come next Saturday at the national championships in Columbus.
Monday, May 3, 2004 Publication Date Set for Hugh Musick's First Childrens Book (Publisher's Weekly)
Shandah Press announced the publication of Afikomen for Kofi Annan, a heart-warming story of cultural exchange featuring the Secretary General of the United Nations and the three mischevious Mendelbaum children as they search for hidden matzoh during a Passover celebration.Together the group learns about conflict resolution and the values of different cultures all leading up to a touching Seder. This book marks Musick's first foray into to childrens literature and was instigated at the behest of Mr. Annan when they met in Stockholm during the 2003 Nobel Awards Ceremony. Available in bookstores June 15, 2004.
Tuesday, February 10, 2004 Entire Peabo Bryson Archive Heired to Chicago Eccentric (Detroit Free Press)
Today all the remaining vinyl recordings of rhythm and blues singer Peabo Bryson was donated anonymously to Chicago eccentric, Hugh Musick. A confused Musick told reporters that when he went to dump his garbage this morning he found a carton at his back door containing no less than 88 albums by Bryson. According to music historian, Wren Veblen of Northwestern University, "This is a rare find indeed. We believed the entire works of Bryson had gone the way of the Fred Waring recordings. This may be the find of the last decade. With this collection it may be possible to better understand the histrionics of today's R&B singers." Musick who confesses to know nothing of the work of Peabo Bryson said he might give them a spin on his turntable or perhaps just try to sell them on Ebay.
Tuesday, November 18, 2003 Writer's Blockparty/Next Book Evening, 7:00 p.m. Beat Kitchen, Chicago, IL
Hugh Musick will make a rare public appearance to read several of his postcards while they are projected on a screen behind him. He will be joining a group of writers and musicians--all of whom are much more talented than him.
November 1, 2003 Musick Petitions Nobel Committee for Inclusion of Parallel Parking in Annual Awards
(UPI) Stockholm Former confectionary wunderkind, Hugh Musick visited the Swedish Academy of Arts and Sciences today to petition for the inclusion of Parallel Parking in the annual Nobel prizes. Musick hereforeto known more for his advances in the study of nougat pressed his case before the bewildered Committee of Nine. Following the hearing Musick held a press conference on the steps of the Academy expressing hope that the members would recognize the importance parallel parking plays in the lives of millions of urbanites around the world and that he hoped to be the first recipient of the $1 million prize.
October 28, 2003 Restraining Order on Charlotte Rampling Lifted (New York Times)
(AP) London A restraining order issued to British actress Charlotte Rampling by eccentric Hugh Musick back in 1966 was lifted today. The court order issued in Camden stemmed from an incident back in October of 1966 during which Rampling became infatuated with Musick after watching him dance the Frug one evening at Le Cave, a famous London nightclub. Ms. Rampling, now a resident of Switzerland expressed sorrow and relief at the end of this sad chapter of her life. "When I think about the hours I wasted wondering how I might lure Mr. Musick out onto the dance floor, I realize I must have been very troubled indeed. I apologize for any distress I caused the poor man." Musick was unavailable for comment.
October 15, 2003 - City Lights: The Story of the Beats Presented in Conjunction with Puppetopia 2003, San Francisco, CA
"Musick has fashioned Ginsberg, Ferlenghetti, and Kerouac puppets out of balsa wood, modelling paste and tissue. The show, presented without words, includes wry nods to Victorian Punch and Judy shows." Wax Ecstatic Magazine
"This is simply the most embarassing performance I have ever attended". San Francisco Examiner
"At times, I wished it was I who was beating Musick senseless with his moronically labeled 'Beat' bat." San Francisco Chronicle
"...demonstrates negligible understanding of the great writers of the Beat Age and even less of basic puppeteering." Puppeteer Magazine