Jem Finer
Artist Bio
Since studying computer science in the 1970s, Jem Finer has worked in various fields, including photography, film, experimental and popular music, sound recording, sculpture and installation. Much of his work relates to systems, extended processes and extremes of scale and includes Longplayer and its contrary sibling, Score for a Hole in the Ground. He was a founder member of The Pogues, with whom he has played, written and recorded since 1981. Recent music revolves around a fascination with the hurdy-gurdy, the focus of many collaborations, performances and recordings.
Artwork
Name: LongplayerLongplayer is a thousand-year-long piece of music written by Jem Finer. It began playing on 31 December 1999, and is composed to continue, without repetition, until the last moments of 2999, returning to the point at which it first began – and beginning again. It can be heard, playing continuously, in various locations around the world, including London’s only lighthouse, overlooking the Thames at Trinity Buoy Wharf, at La Casa Encendida, a cultural centre in Madrid, via the app, and a live internet transmission.
The painting/cutout is based on a photo from the 1930s when constructing skyscrapers became a strong drive, and the competition to build the world’s tallest building was fierce. I used this image as a symbol of human desire. I replaced the ridiculous-looking hats in the photo with more recent tall buildings, indicating ongoing development and devastation to our environment, using a lone frog to represent nature.
Medium: Mixed Media/Cutout on board (framed)
Size: 66cm x 86cm framed, (60cm x 80cm unframed)
Year: 2024