Heartbeat, drumbeat, drum line, lifeline, timeline. Lines. In ancient mythology, The Fates were responsible to create, weave, and cut the thread of each life. It was a metaphor for the scope of one’s existence. A beginning, a middle, and an end. And yet, when the life is cut, the story of that life, or the memory of what was woven from that thread, endures. While a loved one is gone, the memory of them lives on. Their legacy continues by those who remain. With City Band, I attempt to create a visual narrative that plays on the idea of one’s life equating to lines, physical ones and metaphorical ones. It is a drawing of my grandfather, Virgil LaPorte, and his high school band mates from 1925. These adolescents are very likely deceased. I wish to create a common thread with his history and mine, physically weave those lines together with a pencil, and resolve that composition into something that endures. A visual timeline, lifeline, drum line, drumbeat, heartbeat.

Chris LaPorte: City Band from Mary Matthews on Vimeo.

Venue & Connection Information

This is a very large work on paper. It will require a wall at least 14 feet tall and 24 feet wide. it will be presented without glass, so a small partition would be recommended to prevent viewers from touching the drawing. Humidity and temperature control would also be ideal.