Light_Paper_Sound Video and Audio Installation
February 15th - March 22nd, 2006
Viewing Hours: Monday - Friday, 1pm to 7pm
In The 911 Media Arts Center Gallery Space
402 9th Ave N.
Seattle, WA 98109

The artist puts it this way:
"Light_Paper_Sound is constructed of paper cut-outs folded and curved into three dimensional forms and suspended in the gallery space. The paper is used as a sculptural "canvas" for the projected light from LCD video projectors being fed imagery generated by computers running an original software application, called aXiMaL, written in Flash Actionscript . Small speakers are hidden in the sculptures and play audio recordings also selected and modified by the software to accompany the visuals."
Joseph Gray.

Artist Joseph Gray earned a BFA from Cornish College of the Arts in 1999, focusing in video and sculpture. Since then his work has primarily been seen as live video accompaniment to musicians from the Seattle area, playing in various venues like: On the Boards, The Baltic Room, PONCHO Auditorium, The Blue Moon Tavern, The Crocodile Café, Adobe [In Fremont], and on tour with The Monktail Creative Music Concern. The imagery is often completely generated on-the-fly during the shows and draws from a large repertoire of abstract and ornamental styles. His work has also taken the form of internet and e-mail art, and sculptural video installation.

The audio engineering component of the installation was created by Gabriel Christian Herbertson. Besides trumpeting, Gabe is a digital visual and audio artist. The two musicians in the piece are from the local community. Violinist, Paris Hurley is an alumna of Cornish College of the Arts. She has recently joined the Degenerate Art Ensemble and has played and composed music for a wide variety of projects. Clarinetist Beth Fleenor has been exploring different genres since arriving in Seattle in 1998. Her improvisations have earned her performance opportunities in a variety of settings including nightclubs, concert halls, festivals, recordings, and art installations.

The complex biomorphic form floats in the gallery like a multi-plumed phoenix constantly and subtly changing hue, value and tone. The audio component adds to the majesty and mystery of the piece. This is a gesamntkunstwerke, a total work of art. The twin influences of the dadaistic compositional sense of Hans/Jean Arp is married with the in your face video projections of Tony Oursler. By drawing from the aesthetics of the early twentieth century and merging the possibilities of the advances in video technology a new aesthetic emerges. This new vision has a historical trajectory, like anything else in art, a past, present, and future. This exhibition marks a departure in time from the oft boring hours long video projections of fire, water and childbirth which seem to over dominate the genre.

The venue is no surprise as 911 Media Arts Center was incorporated in 1984 and is considered Washington State's premier Media Arts Center. Their mission is to support the expressive use of innovative media tools by providing the access, training and environment needed to create/exhibit works of enduring merit and artistic excellence. They believe everyone can and should have access to the tools of communication. A twenty dollar roll of paper certainly fits within this mission. Hats off to 911 for hosting Light_Paper_Sound

All photographs are by Joseph Gray.