[spectre] High Tech/Low Tech Hybrids: Art in a Digital Age

Thu, 21 Mar 2002 10:20:10 -0800

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"High Tech/Low Tech Hybrids:  Art in a Digital Age" opens in the Bay =
Area - Walnut Creek, California

http://www.dlrca.org/upcomingexhibitions.html

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High Tech/Low Tech Hybrids: Art in a Digital Age

presents works by artists who are combining digital

technology with traditional handwork to create highly

original works of humor, beauty, and humanity.=20

Artists whose work appears in High Tech/Low Tech

include Elliot Anderson, Michael Bartalos, J. D.

Beltran, Rebeca Bollinger, Jim Campbell, Ann

Chamberlain, Anthony Discenza, Lynn Hershman, Robert

Linder, Reuben Lorch-Miller, Kara Maria, Paulina

Wallenberg Olsson, Alan Rath, Gedi Sibony, Wayne

Smith, Anna Von Mertens, Catherine Wagner, Gail Wight,

and William T. Wiley.=20

Several of the artists are investigating aspects of

contemporary science. To create a human biological

alphabet, Ann Chamberlain scans fifteenth century maps

into a computer, manipulates their shapes, then cuts

the digital prints with letters of the code for the=20

human genome.=20

Catherine Wagner scans the interiors of onions, green

beans, and corn with a medical MRI machine to create

digital prints with greatly magnified, richly detailed

images that float in a velvety black space, mysterious

and beautiful. Gail Wight's Linnaeus Unbound, a

video installation with touchscreen and electronics,

questions our devotion to the 18th century natural

scientist's classification system through a procession

of windup toy animals, each morphing into the next, as

it marches or stumbles across the screen.=20

Other artists are visually manipulating images of

reality. For his Illuminated Averages series, Jim

Campbell chooses one subject=97a car, a cow, a

clock=97takes photographs from many angles, then feeds

them into a computer to create one simultaneously

familiar but enigmatic "average" image which he

installs in a light box. Tony Discenza condenses many

hours of channel-surfing across quiz shows and sitcoms

into mesmerizing short videos that are visually

gorgeous and evocative.=20

The printmakers include William T. Wiley, who combines

computer-generated Iris prints with traditional

handmade monotypes, and Rebeca Bollinger, who prints

images from downloaded AOL files on matzo bread.=20

Among the object makers is Alan Rath, whose Thumper

III, a quietly comical sculpture, combines three

speakers into an alien-like creature. Thanks to

built-in circuitry, its speaker membranes pulsate

gently, like a beating heart or lungs breathing.=20

"I find the work of all these artists energizing,"

says Curator Carrie Lederer. "We can still see the

artist's hand and identity and intent very clearly.

The technology doesn't swallow the artist; it informs

the work. The artists are taking only what they need

from this palette of new digital options, and they are

using it carefully: the medium is still wedded to the

message.=20

"Of course," she adds, "they are experimenting too=97and

that's necessary at this stage. There are still a lot

of things to be discovered, and that's what these

artists are doing as they push the boundaries."=20

High Tech/Low tech Hybrids opens on March 26th and

runs through June 9. The Bedford Gallery is located

on the first level of the Dean Lesher Regional Center

for the Arts at 1601 Civic Drive (at Locust Street),

Walnut Creek, CA 94596

Phone: 925-295-1417/Fax: 925-943-7222

Gallery hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 12:00 noon

to 5:00 p.m. The gallery is also open Thursday,

Friday, and Saturday evening 6:00-8:00 p.m. and other

evenings when there are theater performance in the

Regional Center.=20

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&quot;High Tech/Low Tech Hybrids:&nbsp; Art in a Digital Age&quot; opens in 
the Bay Area - Walnut Creek, California
<A 
href="http://www.dlrca.org/upcomingexhibitions.html">http://www.dlrca.org/upcomingexhibitions.html</A>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
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High Tech/Low Tech Hybrids: Art in a Digital Age
presents works by artists who are combining digital
technology with traditional handwork to create highly
original works of humor, beauty, and humanity. 
Artists whose work appears in High Tech/Low Tech
include Elliot Anderson, Michael Bartalos, J. D.
Beltran, Rebeca Bollinger, Jim Campbell, Ann
Chamberlain, Anthony Discenza, Lynn Hershman, Robert
Linder, Reuben Lorch-Miller, Kara Maria, Paulina
Wallenberg Olsson, Alan Rath, Gedi Sibony, Wayne
Smith, Anna Von Mertens, Catherine Wagner, Gail Wight,
and William T. Wiley. 
Several of the artists are investigating aspects of
contemporary science. To create a human biological
alphabet, Ann Chamberlain scans fifteenth century maps
into a computer, manipulates their shapes, then cuts
the digital prints with letters of the code for the 
human genome. 
Catherine Wagner scans the interiors of onions, green
beans, and corn with a medical MRI machine to create
digital prints with greatly magnified, richly detailed
images that float in a velvety black space, mysterious
and beautiful. Gail Wight's Linnaeus Unbound, a
video installation with touchscreen and electronics,
questions our devotion to the 18th century natural
scientist's classification system through a procession
of windup toy animals, each morphing into the next, as
it marches or stumbles across the screen. 
Other artists are visually manipulating images of
reality. For his Illuminated Averages series, Jim
Campbell chooses one subject&mdash;a car, a cow, a
clock&mdash;takes photographs from many angles, then feeds
them into a computer to create one simultaneously
familiar but enigmatic &quot;average&quot; image which he
installs in a light box. Tony Discenza condenses many
hours of channel-surfing across quiz shows and sitcoms
into mesmerizing short videos that are visually
gorgeous and evocative. 
The printmakers include William T. Wiley, who combines
computer-generated Iris prints with traditional
handmade monotypes, and Rebeca Bollinger, who prints
images from downloaded AOL files on matzo bread. 
Among the object makers is Alan Rath, whose Thumper
III, a quietly comical sculpture, combines three
speakers into an alien-like creature. Thanks to
built-in circuitry, its speaker membranes pulsate
gently, like a beating heart or lungs breathing. 
&quot;I find the work of all these artists energizing,&quot;
says Curator Carrie Lederer. &quot;We can still see the
artist's hand and identity and intent very clearly.
The technology doesn't swallow the artist; it informs
the work. The artists are taking only what they need
from this palette of new digital options, and they are
using it carefully: the medium is still wedded to the
message. 
&quot;Of course,&quot; she adds, &quot;they are experimenting 
too&mdash;and
that's necessary at this stage. There are still a lot
of things to be discovered, and that's what these
artists are doing as they push the boundaries.&quot; 
High Tech/Low tech Hybrids opens on March 26th and
runs through June 9. The Bedford Gallery is located
on the first level of the Dean Lesher Regional Center
for the Arts at 1601 Civic Drive (at Locust Street),
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Phone: 925-295-1417/Fax: 925-943-7222
Gallery hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 12:00 noon
to 5:00 p.m. The gallery is also open Thursday,
Friday, and Saturday evening 6:00-8:00 p.m. and other
evenings when there are theater performance in the
Regional Center. </DIV></BODY></HTML>

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