craig tattersall and chrystal cherniwchan

'grass folded and pressed'

Things unfold. But, things, also, echo. Back and forth. The beginning and the end, together. Music. Like a thread, going from there, to here. Or, like a balloon, which is, of course, a captured breath: held, inside, to carry forward, that energy, to, somewhere, else. I always thought, the balloon floating in the sky, was like a lost breath. A body, someone's. And if you were to find that balloon, open it up, slowly, you would receive, that breath. To let it, out slowly, against one's own lips. To inhale, that other breath, that had floated, from somewhere. Or, to hear it. Suddenly. A voice.

Brandon LaBelle

‘grass folded and pressed’ started on site(s) in the north west and the south west of england where both artists are located. field recordings were captured along with close recordings of site specific/historical objects using combinations of open mics, contact mics and hydrophones.


once the audio had been harvested it was shared between them, along with photographs they made from the sites that would be further developed in their studios. again the results were sent back and forth, this time to be taken back to the original site to be played back and recorded in symphony with the spaces. slowly building a layering of site upon site, sound compressing sounds like geological layers.


musical responses are weaved into the score; utilising spoken word, typewriters as well as tape loops, humming, harmoniums and pianos. Accompanying the audio is a sound object in the form of a book that illustrates interventions with place, and the intimate act of listening throughout this collaborative process- merged places unfold.


the final audio and book are a result of these ‘conversations’ between artist and site, artist and artist and site and site.

0utput - book & cassette

this project consists of a limited edition 60 page art book and cassette of 75 copies. the book is printed on 135gsm recycled paper stock with a 300gsm heavy-weight cover which was hand stitched by the artists with yellow French linen thread. inside includes foldout sounds maps, and a hand signed and editioned information tab.

the book is held in a glassine envelope with a photographic c-type print affixed to the front with fluorescent green cloth gaffer tape, also used to seal the envelope.


the book comes with a pro-duplicated cassette, consisting of two longform tracks, a folded insert and finished with a high-gloss front sticker all hand assembled by the artists.

project credits:

craig tattersall & chrystal cherniwchan - all artwork and audio

umbrella publishing 2022

mastered by ian hawgood

quoted text from Brandon LaBelle



copies are available at

umbrella-publishing.bandcamp.com

thehumblebee.bandcamp.com

boomkat.com

goodpress.co.uk

openeye.org.uk


pricing: £ 35 + p&p