Peter Bonde Becker Nelson

Documentation of works in Connectivity, an exhibition of Art Faculty and Staff at St. Olaf College, 2018

It Don’t Mean a Thing, Modified Sheet Music, 2018
It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing. Doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah.

This piece draws on my interest in language and the way meaning is perceived based on context, delivery, perceptions, and past experiences. I hired the composer Michael Betz to remove the syncopation of the swing rhythm, thereby shifting the musical and linguistic meaning of the song. This intervention is at first humorous, but I hope it also invites questions about artistic production, the essence of a work of art, and the unclear boundaries between artistic and cultural appropriation.

Better Friends (Redux), Audio Interview and Pickup Truck, 2018
Original version of this work was part of the installation Former Best Friends Forever (2009). Special thanks to Paddy Gilligan and David Morrison for their help.

A conversation with a childhood friend led me to realize that we have startlingly different memories of various shared experiences. For example, while I remember reaching out to a new kid at summer camp in an attempt to be inclusive, he recalls me casting him aside for a temporary companion. This encounter prompted me to interview him at length to better understand how he perceived our relationship.

Throughout the interview, my friend highlighted the numerous times I was hurtful to him. By isolating these uncomfortable sections of the recording, I hope to raise questions about friendship, loyalty, and men’s often veiled emotions.

The audio is set in an old pickup truck, reminiscent of the one my friend drove in high school. Growing up in rural Minnesota, a vehicle was one of the few spaces teenagers could have private interactions. Audience members are invited to sit in the cab and listen.