Hudson River Fugues is one of a series of ongoing River Fugues projects in which Cogswell uses the musical structure of the fugue as a conceptual point of departure in creating mixed media installations which video and audio components exploring the interdependency of people, industry and river waters. Often poignant elegies, these works reflect the complex and changing relationship of a society to its industries and rivers, and strive to be a contributing artistic voice in a larger conversation addressing issues of water. The harnessing of a river�s water for the development of industry and commerce uncomfortably links the idealized rural landscape with urban industry and technology. Dreams of prosperity become mixed with disillusionment as terms are redefined and both river waters and climate are compromised.

LIVES OF THE HUDSON
Lives of the Hudson explores the long history of one of America�s greatest rivers. Four themes have guided the organization of this exhibition: the natural river, the imagined river, the human river, and the working river. Along with important works by Hudson River School painters, Lives of the Hudson presents objects of material culture, science, and recent art by Bob Braine and Leslie Reed, Matthew Buckingham, Margaret Cogswell, Maxine Henryson, Yvonne Jacquette, Kysa Johnson, Michael Light, Annea Lockwood, Alan Michelson, Jason Middlebrook, and An My-L�.

Hudson River Fugues 2009 Mixed media video installation: window frames, shutters, audio speakers in shutters, video projectors, benches

Curated by: Ian Berry, Susan Rabinowitz Malloy �45 Curator, and Tom Lewis, Professor of English, Skidmore College

HUDSON RIVER FUGUES
IN "LIVES OF THE HUDSON"
at the TANG MUSEUM
July 18th 2009 - March 14th 2010

Hudson River Fugues juxtaposes contemporary stories from people living and working along the Hudson with records of Henry Hudson�s disillusionment in not finding a short passage to China. It also contrasts Henry Hudson's explorations with the tragedy of the Native Americans whose ancient prophecy promised that their nomadic journeys would end in peace and prosperity when they found a great stream whose waters flows two ways.

Video footage for Hudson River Fugues was shot from the Saugerties Lighthouse and on a schooner journey down the Hudson from Albany to Manhattan. Narratives collected include those from shad fishermen, ice boat sailors, lighthouse keepers, boat captains, regional historians and observations recorded in the Hudson River Almanac published weekly by the New York State Department of Conservation.