Groundbreaking artist Laurie Anderson delivering annual Mitchell Artist Lecture

Multi-media vanguard artist Anderson to discuss artistic collaboration in UH Moores Opera House on Sept. 10

On September 10, the groundbreaking multi-media and performance artist Laurie Anderson will deliver the second annual Mitchell Artist Lecture in the Moores Opera House on campus.

Anderson’s work challenges and transcends the conventions of art and popular music because of her commitment to taking experimental approaches to stagecraft, performance, instrumentation and composition.

Anderson’s work challenges and transcends the conventions of art and popular music because of her commitment to taking experimental approaches to stagecraft, performance, instrumentation and composition.

“Not only that, she is a female performance artist. For all of those young artists out there who think it isn’t possible to succeed by cracking the gender and genre codes, simply observe the extraordinary and inspiring career of Laurie Anderson.”

Always on the cutting edge, Anderson consistently earns acclaim and applause from fans and critics alike. Her efforts are also respected by her creative peers. Artists from across the disciplines, including dance, music, film and literature, have eagerly shared both stage and studio with her.

In her Sept. 10 talk, Anderson will share her insights on artistic partnerships and discuss her experiences collaborating with singer-songwriters Peter Gabriel and Lou Reed, American Beat Generation writer William Burroughs, filmmakers and writers Wim Wenders and Jonathan Demme, and choreographers and dancers Bill T. Jones and Trisha Brown.

Presented by the University’s Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts, the event begins with a reception at 6 p.m. and the lecture at 7 p.m. It is free, but reservations are going fast and must be made online. For more details or to make reservations, visit the Mitchell Center’s website.

Multi-media and electronics are hallmarks of her work, but Anderson’s skills as a spoken word artist also have earned much praise.

She broke into New York City’s art scene during the 1970s. Performances such as “Duets on Ice” (featuring the artist playing violin in ice skates frozen into a block of ice) and recorded works secured her reputation as one of America’s most innovative and adventurous artists.

In 1980, Anderson’s electronic, spoken word track “O Superman (for Massenet)” became a hit in Europe (reaching No. 2 on the British charts) and introduced her to new audiences. During the 1980s, her multimedia concerts – featuring then unprecedented use of video, music and technology – became must-see experiences. One particularly memorable show in Union City, N.J. was captured in her 1985 documentary “Home of the Brave.”

Other notable works include concert album “United States Live,” multimedia stage show “Songs and Stories for Moby Dick” and exhibition “The Waters Reglitterized.”

In 2002, Anderson was named NASA’s first artist-in-residence and developed the performance piece “The End of the Moon.” In 2004, she was part of the creative team that developed the opening ceremony for the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

Among Anderson’s awards and accolades are the 2001 Tenco Prize for Songwriting in San Remo, Italy and the 2001 Deutsche Schallplatten Prize for the album “Life on a String.”

For a complete biography on Anderson, click here.

The Mitchell Artist lecture debuted in 2013 with famed choreographer and dancer Bill T. Jones. This lecture series spotlights artists emblematic of artistic collaboration and innovation.

- By Mike Emery