John Fleischer

John Fleischer is one of 7 artists who will be contributing work to the upcoming group show HAIRandNAILS at 9 Herkimer Place opening May 5, 2019 in Brooklyn, NY and running thru June 16th.

“I recently acquired a stethoscope and sphygmomanometer. I had been wanting to develop a new practice around contact and listening, and in my research I encountered an instructional video on manually taking blood pressure readings using the brachial artery occlusion method. In this diagnostic technique blood-flow is made audible by creating turbulence with compression. As compression is released, the trained ear can detect two distinct shifts in sound. The first shift marks systolic blood pressure, the second marks diastolic. Although I wasn’t sure how quickly I would become proficient enough with these unfamiliar tools to take an accurate reading, I knew that even my first awkward interaction with the forms would gently draw me deeper into bodymind. I’m telling you this because I suspect the story reveals something significant about what at first might seem to be a disparate and fractured approach to making.”