The Spectre (No Jets III, The Bower and Full of Stars), 2014
Project components: Vinyl record, graphite and gesso wall mural, digitized 16mm film Image above features No Jets III and Full of Stars component
Commissioned for the 2014 Whitney Biennial, NY

The Spectre was created as a response to Matt Hanner’s audio verite recording “No Jets”, recorded in Chicago on September 11 and 12, 2001. Hanner’s apartment was directly under a flight path to O’hare International Airport and he was able to capture in the ensuing hours after the cancellation of all air travel the “sound of no jets” on an otherwise busy Illinois air traffic route. In 2011, Hanner passed away unexpectedly. Attempting to organize and manage his archive of extensive photographs, audio recordings, and drawings Academy Records, with the full cooperation of his family, took the opportunity of the 2014 Whitney Biennial to present a collection of Hanner’s works in a limited edition “artist book” featuring two 18-minute excerpts of his original 3 hour digital recording and a selection of his past visual work as an homage to not only his output but that moment he was able to poetically capture on September 11, 2001.

As a response and an “additive” measure to Hanner’s recording Academy Records filmed a 14-second silent 16mm film clip, “The Bower” capturing the cherry trees blossoming on the same street as Hanner made his original audio recording. To coincide with the film presentation and the audio in the gallery via turntable, the wall drawing entitled “Full of Stars” was created to give a visual abstraction to the collective sense of space to focus on while listening to the sound of absence captured on the recording.

Below are images of each component part making up The Spectre.

The Spectre (The Bower), 2013-14
16 mm film transferred to digital video
Runtime: 3:04

The soundtrack for The Bower is Hanner’s full No Jets field recording. The Cherry Blossom trees featured in the film were documented in 2013 on the same Chicago street where Hanner recorded No Jets in 2001.

The Spectre (No Jets III), 2014

33 1/3 vinyl LP with packaging includes two single-folded 12” inserts, with a smaller art print insert and set of eight cards, all featuring Matt Hanner's artwork. Records are hand numbered edition of 500.

Copyright estate of Matt Hanner. Designed, packaged and released by Academy Records.

The Spectre (Full of Stars), 2014
Graphite powder on gessoed wall
12 x 14 feet (dimensions may vary by site)

No Jets III, 2014

Display of the No Jets album cover and a series of postcards and posters included in the packaging. All artworks by Matt Hanner.