When envisioning an art show, screens, televisions and hosts of instruments are not necessarily the first things that come to mind.
The Carnegie Art Center's "Eyes and Ears: Sound Needs Image" exceeds the expectations of a common exhibition.
Running through October 22, the display collaborates those different elements of art: sound and image.
The goal of the project was to stress the idea of perception and interpretation, first by creating a short visual film, then adding a corresponding musical score that transforms the work into a multi-dimensional piece.
The "moving scores," as the artists call them, are formed by first creating images out of abstract shapes and photographs. The sound artists then interpret the images musically as if they were reading an actual score.
The show is condensed into one room. All of the pieces are available with headsets for experimentation, each on their own separate screen. There are 12 works, six of which were performed live at the exhibition's premiere Friday night. Videographers Elliot Chaplan, Dorothea Braemer, Alan Rhodes, Carolyn Tennant, David Jones and Kelly Spivey represented their images in concert.
Brain Milbrand's "Untitled" piece especially stood out. The piece contained several disfigured shapes moving onscreen, devoid of a particular theme. Several background instruments and noisemakers mixed with the liquid shapes added to the feeling of pandemonium. Trumpets, contrabassoons, and various percussion and reeds took part in the presentation to create an ecstatic sound.
Bill Sack, J.T. Rinker, Todd Whitman, N. Andrew Walsh, Chris Reba and Steve Baczkowski were among the musicians who created the live musical accompaniment to "Untitled." Like the images, the music was of a chaotic theme. The piece itself was an explosion of shapes and colors projected on black-and-white images.
The live performance began with the piece entitled "July 4, 2005 NYC." Musicians Will Redman and N. Andrew Walsh set a strange mood for viewing the artwork.
The video in "NYC" moved through obscure images of New York, which had been shot at a distance with the focus on highways. In one segment, the city was recorded from the perspective of someone driving a vehicle across a bridge.
The visual then took a different approach to the same idea, filming underneath the bridge. The music was silenced at this particular part. Underneath the bridge was a type of nothingness, resonating a sense of isolation from civilization.
Contrasting "NYC," "New York, 8PM, 8/25/05" focused on signage and buildings located in the heart of the city. A baritone saxophone orchestrated the piece. Although it was a completely different perspective, it still concentrated on conveying the harsh reality of the city.
What was most interesting about these images was the connection drawn between fine art and real life.
The violin captured the life of a man in the performance "Leaving." Ben Harris performed the piece as a solo artist. This piece was amusing and it naturally won the crowd over with Harris's ability to relate a musical touch to the images.
The artists went beyond all traditional forms of art, both visually and musically, by creating an appealing, new representation of fine art.
The Open Music Ensemble as well as the film and video artist's productions is open to the public to observe at the Carnegie Art Center through its closing performance on October 22 at 7 p.m.
