(San Francisco – October 25, 2021) Undated Records is an imaginary indie record label. It consists of an ongoing series of life-size covers (7.25″ or 12.5″ square) for singles, maxi-singles, and extended play mini-albums (E.P.s) by imaginary bands.
This unusual and perhaps unique art project is inspired by Dada, Surrealism, pop art, and conceptual art. Each cover uses a minimum of elements to create maximum “meaning” and explore:
- the subconscious, non-rational, and deeply personal pleasures of music,
- the ways our minds process partial, ambiguous, and contradictory information by making connections and filling the gaps with assumptions and hopes, and
- how the synesthesia-like connections between band names, song titles, and commercial music packaging influence our musical experience.
It also evokes the DIY spirit of the alternative, punk, electronic, and dance music of the 1970s-1990s, and the now-vanishing pleasure of discovering new music in record store bins.
Each cover is a sort of puzzle that asks: Can you imagine this music, and can you imagine liking it?
The opening reception and show
Approximately 40 covers will be on display and for sale.
November 12, 2021
5:30 p.m. ~ 9:00 p.m.
The Flying Pig Bistro & Pub
433 S. Van Ness Ave.
SF, CA 94103
Show graphics
- A printable 8.5″ x 11″ PDF of the show announcement (11.6 MB PDF)
- An emailable version of the show announcement (1000 px × 1315 px, 774 KB JPG)
The artist
Jay Cornell has been creating Undated Records for six years. In this timeline, he is Head of Content at RolloutSF, a full-service web design, development, and marketing agency. He’s also the co-author (with R. U. Sirius) of Transcendence: The Disinformation Encyclopedia of Transhumanism and the Singularity.
undatedrecords.com
jay@undatedrecords.com
Instagram: jaycornell777