no.247 | Boom and Dust, The Permian Basin
This week’s PSO is a video! This was made as a proof of concept sketch for a sprawling photobook Jason Reed and I just released as pre-order, titled BOOM AND DUST.
BOOM AND DUST depicts a 40-mile stretch of highway between Midland and Odessa, Texas. This roadway serves as the backbone of the extraction industry in the Permian Basin, the most productive oil field in the world.
Inspired by Ed Ruscha, we made hundreds of photographs from the back of a pickup truck of the unrelenting scroll of mancamps, pumpjacks, and oil outfitters collectively known as the "Petroplex.”These were assembled as a 128-panel accordion fold book that extends to 58 feet in length when unfurled.
PSO no.247 the last two minutes of a 13 minute piece. The soundtrack is a soundscape of field recordings and guitar improvisations from across the Permian Basin—featuring collaged sounds of highways, toxic artificial lakes, and oil fields, all layered with lap steel guitar. The audio accompanies the book for and is accessible via a QR code printed inside the bellyband. We even made a special edition cassette!
You can see the book and cassette here
BOOM AND DUST depicts a 40-mile stretch of highway between Midland and Odessa, Texas. This roadway serves as the backbone of the extraction industry in the Permian Basin, the most productive oil field in the world.
Inspired by Ed Ruscha, we made hundreds of photographs from the back of a pickup truck of the unrelenting scroll of mancamps, pumpjacks, and oil outfitters collectively known as the "Petroplex.”These were assembled as a 128-panel accordion fold book that extends to 58 feet in length when unfurled.
PSO no.247 the last two minutes of a 13 minute piece. The soundtrack is a soundscape of field recordings and guitar improvisations from across the Permian Basin—featuring collaged sounds of highways, toxic artificial lakes, and oil fields, all layered with lap steel guitar. The audio accompanies the book for and is accessible via a QR code printed inside the bellyband. We even made a special edition cassette!
You can see the book and cassette here
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UPCOMING PSO EVENTS
October 4, 7PM, PSO LIVE at Tweedy’s in ATX in support of the John Pauls and San Saba CountyOctober 11, 5:30-8PM, Artist-led Bird Sit with Mark Menjívar & Porch Swing Orchestra Performance at Co-Lab Projects in Austin
October 17, BOOM AND DUST BOOK RELEASE at Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery in NYC
October 19, BOOM AND DUST BOOK RELEASE at Ulises Books in Philadelphia
October 24, 6PM, PSO LIVE, meet at Davis White North East Neighborhood Park in Austin and hike or bike to a SECRET LOCATION put on by Dear Diary Coffee.
More to Come in October and November Stay tuned!
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LETS'S MAKE SOMETHING TOGETHER
I love to collaborate, remotely or in person, but if you have a piece you would like to feature on PSO (without contributions by me), by all means, please reach out!Email us at info(at)porchswingorchestra.org
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ABOUT PSO
Porch Swing Orchestra is an art project begun by Barry Stone that explores the interplay between still images and sound.Photographs and musical improvisations build a framework for deep listening and visual contemplation. Barry Stone plays acoustic guitar with a Fahey-inspired picking style mixed in with electronic effects, like My Bloody Valentine for a campfire. The sounds of the outside—bird calls, stray conversations, passing cars—become part of the music.
Stone scrambles the code and layers images taken on-site to produce new imaginaries. We discover fresh ways to see and hear everything.
Since 2018, PSO has collaborated with dozens of musicians, artists, poets, writers, and activists to publish over 240 unique combinations of images and sounds.
Most PSO pieces are made on Stone’s front porch in Austin, Texas, but PSO has traveled to Spiral Jetty in Utah, the border town of Del Rio, Texas, Maine, the San Juan Islands, and performes live in unconventional venues such as the James Turrell Skyspace, The Color Inside as a part of The University of Texas Landmarks Songs in the Skyspace Program.
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To experience selected past pieces, listen to the PSO RADIO, or tune into our PODCAST, or stream us on TIDAL in the links below.
Releases can be purchased on BANDCAMP or at BARRYSTONE.COM
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PSO RADIO
Listen and view a stream of randomly selected past PSO pieces!
Exclusively here at PSO HQ.
Click on the PSO Radio Icon to Start the Stream
Exclusively here at PSO HQ.
Click on the PSO Radio Icon to Start the Stream
