Vocalist John Foxx left pioneering British synth-punk outfit Ultravox! after the group’s third album for Island Records, 1978’s Systems of Romance. Much like his obvious hero David Bowie, Foxx has emerged as a renaissance man in subsequent decades, not only collaborating with further-afield musicians like avant pianist Harold Budd but also cultivating parallel careers in writing and the visual arts. Drawing on the latter two disciplines, The Quiet Man, a multimedia exhibition of films, prints, and other works, takes its name from Foxx’s recently published novel, and is on view at BCB Art in Hudson from November 7 through December 19. “The origins of the novel are firmly cinematic,” says Foxx. “I found an old gray suit in a charity shop in the 1970s. Over the years I got some friends to wear the suit in various locations in London. I filmed them walking or sitting in cafes in or apartments. As I did this, The Quiet Man story began to emerge. It’s about London becoming overgrown, about the suit being alive somehow, and the way cities can alter us—and our memories.” On Saturday, November 7, Foxx will visit the gallery to read from The Quiet Man at 3pm, with a reception to follow from 6 to 8pm. BCB Art, 116 Warren Street, Hudson. (518) 828-4539; www.bcbart.com.
—Peter Aaron
This article appears in November 2009.
