VIDEO

Matt Frieburghaus at the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art

Multi-media artist and client Matt Frieburghaus will be exhibiting a single channel video at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY from June 18-September 4, 2011. The show is called "Iced" and is labeled a "group exhibition that explores seductive materials and the sublime desire for cool relief during the summer heat."

Artists include Betty Bressi, Aaron Carpenter, Kasarian Dane, Ed Davin, Corey D'Augustine, Amanda Dumas-Hernandez, Matt Frieburghaus, Michael C. Johnson, Zerek Kempf, Ben Knight, Rena Leinberger, Elisa Lendvay, Jonathan Leiter, Karen Lofgren, Viviane Rombaldi-Seppey, Tomas Ronse, Allyson Ross, and Gabriel J. Shuldiner.

In addition to being a nationally exhibited artist, Frieburghaus is an Assistant Professor of Digital Media at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY. Frieburghaus holds an MFA in computer art from Syracuse University and a BFA in animation from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

There is an opening reception from 6-8 p.m. Saturday, June 18.

Life in a Day: Participate in a Worldwide Self-documentary Project July 24

Life in a Day's idea is this: to document July 24--a single day on earth---from as many perspectives as possible. It's up to you what and how much you film. Videos must be uploaded to their site between July 24 and 31.

I don't shoot much video, but I think even I might participate. Youtube is calling it an "historic cinematic experiment". There are a few prompts, but the rest is up to you.

Huh... one of the "don'ts" is no music, and others include not infringing on various forms of other people's intellectual property, and trademarks. Makes sense unless you are the owner of that intellectual property... like music, for example? [Can it really be a representative day on earth without music or high art?]

Make a video. Have fun. Upload it. If you do it, can you send me a link?

~Lys

"What if? 60x60x60"







Still from "Duck and Coverup"
©Mark Savoia



Still River Editions/Connecticut Photographics co-owner Mark Savoia has contributed a film titled "Duck and Coverup" to "What If? 60x60x60", to take place April 29, 7:30 pm AXIOM Center for New and Experimental Media, 141 Green St., Jamaica Plain, MA.

The project was created by media artist Gene Gort and composer Ken Steen, both of New Media New Music New England. The project is a participatory experiment in audio and video that uses 60 video clips and 60 audio clips that are 60 seconds long. Contributors to the project are notable New England media and sound artists. Audience members will select one audio and one video clip, and the resulting combination is played back together. The selections will dictate the evening's performance, resulting in an hour-long event.

Savoia is a master printer, video artist and photographer.

"What If? 60x60x60" may be viewed online here. I've found by playing around with the web version, that pairing the same video with different audio often changes its meaning/mood/feeling, and vice versa.

~Lys

June Bisantz - "Turning Pages" at the Willimantic Public Library

©June Bisantz

June Bisantz could be considered the queen of public art in Connecticut. She often works big, and uses public spaces to challenge peoples' relationships with everyday objects and situations. Billboards, buses, and traffic signage often fall under her spell. 

Her current exhibit "Turning Pages"  is an interactive light projection on the facade of the Willimantic Public Library, 905 Main St., Willimantic, CT. It will be viewable from 8pm - midnight April 12-16. A preview of the project is online on Bisantz's website. 

In "Turning Pages," text becomes luminous--optically, and as it ignites the imagination of the reader who approaches the library. The projection is a metaphor, as the beauty of reading depends on inner visualization, on the words coming off the page. Its existence highlights people's relationship with reading, and cleverly acknowledges the new roles libraries (and readers) must take on as electronic media changes what people think of "book" and "text".  

From the press release: “Reading has saved my life many times”, says Bisantz, “A good book offers escape, high drama and great adventure. Turning Pages is about the excitement and anticipation of reading a new story.” 

In addition to being an exhibiting artist, Bisantz is a teacher of digital art and design at Eastern Connecticut State University, and is a jazz musician.  

~Lys


The Collaboration of Gene Gort and Ken Steen Tonight April 8 on CPTV

Gene Gort and Ken Steen will be discussing their work on "All Things Connecticut", on CPTV tonight, April 8 at 8 pm. Producer Ed Wierzbicki visited the artists during their residence at the I-Park Artists' Enclave in East Haddam during the summer of 2009.

During tonight's episode, Wierzbicki explores the theme "Technology--Changing the Way We Live" by showing the collaboration between Gort and Steen, who use visual media, musical composition and technology to create their work. Gene Gort is a professor of art at Hartford Art School in Hartford, CT and is a working artist in video, photography, sound, and electronic media. Ken Steen is a composer and professor of music at Hartt School of Music in Hartford, CT.

Their new work, "Each to Each" is a "new media chamber opera in one act for Soprano, Tenor, Clarinet, Violin, Cello, Piano, keyboard sampler, Max/MSP/Jitter, video projections and other visual elements". Their prior project, the "Reliquary of Labor" was created for for the opening of the New Britain Museum of American Art in November, 2006.

In addition to their creative collaborations, Gort and Steen have launched an online resource for artists who work in new media and composition. New Media New Music New England hopes to be a networking and promotion hub that will connect artists to venues, and will foster new projects in the northeast.

Check your local or digital listings to find your CPTV station.

~Lys