Rock/Music Writings

Rock/Music Writings collects Dan Graham’s influential writings about rock and roll music and its cultural impact. First published in 2009, Rock/Music Writings includes thirteen essays written between 1968 and 1988, most of which were originally printed in small magazines or journals, including Extensions, Fusion, REAL LIFE, and ZG.

Graham was a friend and supporter of many musicians active in the No Wave scene that was centered around New York City in the late ’70s. In addition to collaborating with musicians during this period, Graham created “Rock My Religion,” a video that demonstrates parallels between rock music culture and religious rituals, such as Shaker dances and revivalist meetings. The work’s related text, also titled “Rock My Religion,” is included in Rock/Music Writings, along with texts such as “The End of Liberalism,” “New Wave Rock and the Feminine,” “McLaren’s Children,” and “Artist as Producer.” These texts examine the lyrics and backgrounds of bands like The Beatles, The Kinks, Devo, The Ramones,  the Patti Smith Group, the Sex Pistols, and Bow Wow Wow, relating them to consumerism and visual art movements, including Abstract Expressionism and Pop art.

Dan Graham is an artist based in New York. Since the 1960s, he has produced a wide range of work and writing that engages in a highly analytical discourse on the historical, social, and ideological functions of contemporary cultural systems. Architecture, popular music, video, and television are among the focuses of his investigations, which he articulates through essays, performances, installations, videotapes, and architectural/sculptural designs.