Livinia Rosenthal, JVC XL-F215 (ALL GOOD), JVC XL-F215, Harman Kardon hk330i, Sony SS-MF400H, wires, Posca, nails (2024)

72” x 18” x 14”, $999.99

Project/Artist Statement: 

I am Livinia Rosenthal. While I feel I should say I am a multidisciplinary artist, at the end of the day I am just someone who likes to draw. Much, if not all, of my work is based directly off personal experience as an attempt to make sense of and organize my lived reality. As someone who often feels like an alien, an angel, or maybe even a bird amongst humans, I am constantly observing, documenting, and archiving in one way or another. These collections of past, present, and future experiences manifest in multiple forms but most commonly they appear as high contrast line drawings highly decorated with personal patterns and symbols. My art is an illegitimate, bastardized archive of the self. 

JVC XL-F215 (ALL GOOD) is a deconstructed, 5 disc, JVC CD player I recently inherited from my Father. The top, bottom, and back panels installed on the wall hold decorative illustrations depicting people, places, things, and patterns important to me. The internal mechanism, also decorated,  sits on a mixer and speaker that act as its pedestal. And a CD, titled All Good, plays through this artwork. 

My whole life I have felt an almost familial connection with objects. I care more for objects than I do for most people—this CD player is no objection. This JVC machine is an un-official family heirloom in my mind, a part of myself lives within it. In tandem with my attachment to the inanimate comes escapism. Through media, music, items, and working with my hands I have always sought to escape real life, to dissociate myself from my unfortunately human status. These repeated attempts at escape have led to the development of extreme pattern making and seeking. I am a creature of habit through and through in all aspects.

The first time I listened to this CD was with my classmates during full class critique. Please join me and others at Unwritten Chapters to listen again. 

Thank you Dad, for this machine and CD. I miss you. I never thought I’d say that.

Follow on Livinia Rosenthal Instagram: @bettyhooves 

Email: livinia.rosenthal@gmail.com 

View More on Livinia Rosenthal on their website: https://sites.google.com/view/liviniarosenthal/welcome