SLVN MCHN

I have always been enamored with music. For as long as I can recall, music play a significant part in our household. My father had an essential collection of record, which captured many various music styles - from Pink Floyd, Queen and Led Zeppelin, to Isaac Hayes, Cat Stevens and Rod Steward. I always loved the impact music could generally be within each of us. Naturally, I eventually began my own record - or rather CD - collection, and quickly incorporated my own musical tastes, such as Lou Reed, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Roxy Music and Radiohead. Unlike with my painting practice, I never received any formal training. My wife Tomitha gave me a synthesizer as a Christmas gift one year, and I mostly began arranging sounds that intrigued me. About 10 years ago, while struggling to complete a painting I vented my frustration on the synthesizer keyboard. I was struck by a juxtaposition of sound and image. This fascination eventuality lead to my first exhibition “Trojan Soul,” where I created a soundtrack to help expand the viewer's temporal span. This became a watershed moment for me.

For this project particularly, I focused on revisiting some influential concept albums of the 70’s era - such as Pink Floyd’s The Wall, Lou Reed’s Berlin and David Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy. I also reexamined The Smile’s A Light for Attracting Attention, and Jonny Greenwood’s You Were Never Really Here.

I have always found that music communicates emotions in a more direct manner and can be more effective than painting because it unravels temporarily.

With painting the audience experiences the aesthetic all at once, while with music the audience has to wait for what comes next - revealing itself over a course of time, thus allowing the audience to be moved, and captured by the unexpected. Still both artistic endeavors share commonalities as well. Where painting uses line and surface - or space - music employed sound and silence. Arrangements of either line/sound are both very intriguing to me as a maker, and painting with sound provides me with new opportunities and sets of challenges. I hope you enjoy this latest sonic exploration.

Chapters 2, 3, 4, and 8 are currently on view.

Chapters 5 and 6 will be added on February 20th.

Chapters 1 and 7 will be added on March 19th