The Fair

Summary:

The fair is bright and nice and happy, and then the sun goes down....

Website:

http://23grand.com/fair

Additional Credits and Funding:

Additional Support for this work provided by open studio project with funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Timely on:

July: Any Summer month works, as this is when most fairs happen

Tones:

Engaging, Real, Sound Rich

Language:

English

Description:

Every fair is essentially two fairs: one sunny and bright, full of cuddly animals and babies; the other dark and ambiguously dangerous, more grown-up and aggressive. The subject is one we all know, yet it is one that we have mythologized into a (somewhat treacherous) fantasy world of oddballs, oddities, misfits, and shysters. We know what to expect at the fair; we are delighted when we find it.

I recorded ambient sound from a county fair using binaural microphones, and over that I give an impressionistic litany of the things I saw at the fair. We encounter farm animals, kiddie rides, easy games, The Museum of World Oddities, a baby contest, a pig race, a demolition derby, fireworks, scary rides, and more.

This piece originally showed up on the internet as part of a <a href="http://www.transom.org/shows/2004/200404_fair.html">Flash animation.</a> It is a finalist for best story at <a href="http://flashforward2004.com">flash forward NYC.</a><p><i>Featured on <a href="http://www.transom.org/">Transom.org</a>. For more information and conversation, visit <a href="http://www.transom.org/shows/2004/200404_fair.html">The Fair on Transom.</a></i>
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