Harvestworks is pleased to present interdisciplinary artist Phillip Stearns as part of Soho Night, an evening of extended exhibition viewing and special programs by the not-for-profit arts organizations in Soho. We will present Macular Degeneration and Apeiron | Peras, 5.1 surround sound and video works recently completed by the artist in our studios.
SoHo Night: Art by Phillip Stearns
We will present Macular Degeneration and Apeiron | Peras, 5.1 surround sound and video works recently completed by the artist in our studios. Central to the artists’ work is the use of custom electronics, hand-craft, hardware hacking, media technologies, and iterative processes marked by a judicial use of materials, restraint and simplicity, creating a careful balance between conceptual depth and playfulness.
Macular Degeneration (2010) explores immersive sound fields generated using only analog mixer feedback through outboard effects units. The project consists of 5 compositions each delving into different sonic terrains experienced as sound in its raw state: the primal screams of audio production equipment, inaudible noise is amplified and distorted into chaotic oscillations.
Apeiron | Peras is a series of videographics and sound compositions created using a custom built video synthesizer connected in generative feedback paths. Intense audio-video synesthesia is produced by sonifying and visualizing raw electronic signals as directly as possible, creating an intricately intertwined relationship between what is heard and what is seen as sound and image take turns leading and following each other in a perpetual dance. Each work follows an improvised trajectory, navigating the sonic and visual landscape produced by folding electronic signals inwards upon themselves. Apeiron | Peras VII – X are the result of a process of seeking balance between exerting expressive control over an otherwise raw electronic signal and letting the wild, unpredictable current follow its own path.
The public can view the work on Thursday October 14th for Soho Night from 6 pm – 9 pm, on Friday October 15 at 7 pm with, a performance and talk by the artist and continuing on Saturday October 16th 1 pm – 6 pm.
Phillip Stearns (AKA Pixel Form) views technology as a site for exploring the global society-environment system and how changes in the relationship between society and environment manifest in our technology. Through the medium of networked systems—both electronic and biological—his work explores the ecologies and horizons of information, politics, noise, control, proximity, subversion, corruption, interconnectedness and interrelatedness. He is the recipient of the Harvestworks Van Lier Residency for 2010 and has presented, performed, lectured, exhibited, led workshops, and screened works at various festivals, conferences, residencies, museums and institutions around the US, Latin America and Northern Europe.
