Florent Ghys and the DIY aesthetic

Florent Ghys’ presentation was wholly unique not only in the type of art he produces, but in his methods of producing it. His overall approach to art is not one you typically see from composers operating in the classical world. To me, it most closely resembled the DIY aesthetic of the punk scene. The punk ethos is, of course, more than just a musical genre. It does refer to a fairly specific style of music, but more importantly to the production methods of music and art, and even more broadly to lifestyle itself. From the length of his compositions, to his middle finger towards copyright laws, to his video production methods, to his subversive humor, every aspect of Florent Ghys’ art is firmly entrenched in the punk rock ethos.

The fully integrated DIY approach to art certainly has its advantages and disadvantages.

While we tend to revere formal training in any discipline (and this is certainly not an argument against it) we also tend to dismiss those who are self taught as amateurish or devoid of artistic merit. But if there is one fundamental trait of punk rock and DIY, it’s that when the world won’t provide something you need, you create it yourself. Ghys shows that self taught methods can not only have lasting artistic influence, but are a principal way that an artist can uncover new and unusual techniques.

Ghys’ willingness to teach himself how to edit video shows a full commitment to this central tenet of DIY. A trained video artist would likely not have arrived at the artistic decisions that Ghys’ made, and his results certainly speak for themselves. I especially enjoyed ‘Etude For Eleven Faces’, where the unique editing style is as much a part of the piece as the music and other visual components.  

I also enjoyed the use of humor in his art. You rarely see a classical composer so comfortable with exploring not only comedy, but the comedy of the absurd. In pieces like ‘Hommage à Jacob Ter Veldhuis’, we marvel at the technical wizardry required to produce such an intricate piece of art, but also at the absurdity of the subject matter. The real achievement is that this absurdity in no way distracts from the incredible musicality, and these two contrasting characteristics instead augment and support each other in a wholly surprising way. I found myself laughing not at the video itself, but at the uniqueness of this unexpected juxtaposition.

I grew up in the classical music world my parents raised me in, but in my early teenage years I discovered punk rock and was instantly enamored. I spent many years in both worlds, getting a classical performance degree while also playing in and touring with bands during and after college. The artistic influence of punk rock music has its limits, but the overall aesthetic is something that never leaves you. It informs your approach to just about everything in life. I can fully appreciate the challenge of operating in both worlds, and I really respect Florent Ghys’ achievements in seamlessly blending so many different approaches to music, visual art, and artistic production and consumption.