Letters to Larry

For the fall of 2008 e-Xplo was invited to participate in an exhibition entitled
Mind the Gap at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Gallery of
Contemporary Art) organized by Christopher Lynn. The show explores the
idea of ‘negative space’ in its formal, geographical, and political resonances.
For our project, we selected a site, which had been donated to the University
in the 90’s by Dorothy and Larry Heller. The two had homesteaded the 34 acre
land parcel in the 1930’s and were contributing to what was meant to become
a thriving artist colony in Colorado Springs.

Rather than become a haven for artists, the city’s economy became more
connected to the ‘defense industry’ and the military, but the Hellers
maintained their parcel as something like a temporary autonomous zone, for
individuals who were “allergic to normal forms of work”, a space for play,
bizarre parties, and various other experiments.

Because of varying visions for developing the land, the site has been a point of
struggle between students/faculty and various administrators.

We were allowed access to the Heller archives, including artwork, personal
notebooks and his eclectic record and tape collection.
Building from this background and considering the two mayor slogans of the
recent presidential election campaign: Change and Hope, we developed a
fictional play, built around various letters, by different people, addressed to
Larry and Dorothy Heller.

The history of the space and its current indefinite status attracted us to
develop a work which consists of several loudspeakers spread out and
mounted in different places across the range.

The public is invited to walk and listen while the texts, sounds and musical
interludes mix and linger with the songs of the coyotes and the hawks, the
wind and the grass of the prairie.

Letters to Larry
Time Wounds All Heels.
An Audio Play

Central lawn (1)
A dialogue on hope in two letters. 12:35 min
Interlude: Jacques Offenbach, Orpheus in Hades * 7:30 min

Inside main-house (2)
Idea of a Lifetime 24:00 min
Interlude: Richard Wagner, Entry into Walhalla* 8:00 min

250ft west of main-house (3)
Some time ago something was the same as now.
And now something is the same as before.

And yet, nothing really is the same. {Part 1} 4:00 min
Interlude: Robert Schumann, 5 pieces in folk-style, opus 102* 3:10 min
Some time ago, something was the same as now.
And now something is the same as before.

And yet, nothing really is the same. {Part 2} 15:00 min
Interlude: Robert Schumann, 5 pieces in folk-style, opus 102* 4:35 min
Letter to a dying soldier, mother or country. 14:00 min
Interlude: Robert Schumann, 5 pieces in folk-style, opus 102* 2:12 min

40ft north of guest-house (4)
I said I will. I would have, I say. 15:33 min
Three excerpts from a tape entitled: Bands, Circus, Rodeo*

Stable (5)
Prelude: Victor Herbert, I am falling in love with someone* 3:47 min
Letter of Dissent 7:20 min
From the operetta Naughty Marietta
Interlude: Victor Herbert, From the operetta Naughty Marietta* 4:25 min

Pavilion (6)
This place could be. 26:00 min

(1) read by Sheila Green and Tom Paradise (text by e-Xplo)
(2) read by John Standish (text excerpted from journal of Larry Heller)
(3) read by Rene Gabri (text by e-Xplo)
(4) read by Heimo Lattner (text by e-Xplo)
(5) read by Erin McGonigle (text by e-Xplo)
(6) read by Erin McGonigle (text by e-Xplo)
*musical selection from Larry and Dorothy Heller’s tape collection
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