From 2014 to 2018, after moving to an annual publication schedule, Esopus commissioned artists to create limited-edition artworks each fall for our Premium subscribers. Our Fall 2015 editon, Three Types of Reading Ambiguity, was a multidisciplinary collaboration between musician Charles Bissell (The Wrens) and contemporary artist Beth Campbell.

A layered reflection on the differing meanings of “original” and “copy” in the visual arts and music—and a fascinating glimpse into the creative processes of Bissell and Campbell—it included a custom-designed audio cassette containing a brand-new track from Bissell’s band The Wrens on one side and a sonic interpretation of the song by Campbell on the other, as well as a 17-by-30-inch archival print of a new drawing by Campbell; a foldout poster of Bissell’s lyrics for the song in their original format; and a download key to access music, videos, and other related material.

This podcast, featuring interviews with Bissell and Campbell as well as excerpts from both tracks, documents in depth the process behind the edition, from Bissell’s initial conception for the song, written seven years earlier, to the final mixing of Campbell’s version in Bissell’s basement studio in late September 2015.