w i n d s

J U N E    2 2   -     S E P T   2 9    2 0 1 9

Landscape and weather have long shared an intimate connection with the arts.  Each of the works here is a landscape: captured, interpreted and presented through a range of technologies. The four artists in this exhibition have taken, as their material process, the movement of wind through physical space & time. They explore how our perception and understanding of landscape can be interpreted through technology. 

These works have been created by what might be understood as a sort of scientific method or process that involves collecting data, acute observation, controlled experiments and the incorporation of measurements and technologies that control or collect motion, pressure, sound, pattern and the like. The artists then take us in other directions; allowing technology or situations to render visible that which is invisible, creating and focussing on peculiar or resonant qualities of sound, light or movement in ways that seem to influence emotion or memory, dwelling on iconic places and events, or revealing in subtle ways, the subjective nature of time.  Each of these works suggest questions related to the nature of illusive experience and how or if it can be captured, bringing inevitable connections to authorship, loss, memory and memento mori.

David Bowen

tele-present wind
This work was created in part through the Visualization and Digital Imaging Lab at the University of Minnesota where Bowen is Professor. The installation consists of a series of 126 x/y tilting mechanical devices connected to thin dried plant stalks installed in a gallery and a dried plant stalk connected to an accelerometer installed outdoors. When the wind blows it causes the stalk outside to sway. The accelerometer detects this movement transmitting the motion to the grouping of devices in the gallery. Therefore the stalks in the gallery space move in real-time and in unison based on the movement of the wind outside. The system relays a physical representation of dynamic and fluid environmental conditions. David Bowen’s work is concerned with aesthetics that result from interactive, reactive, and generative processes as they relate to intersections between natural and mechanical systems. tele-present wind consists of a field of x/y tilting devices connected to thin, dried plant stalks installed in the gallery, and a dried plant stalk connected to an accelerometer installed outdoors. When the wind blows, it causes the stalk outside to sway. The accelerometer detects this movement, transmitting it in real time to the grouping of devices in the gallery. The stalks in the gallery space move in unison, based on the movement of the wind outside. Bowen says of his work, “I produce devices and situations that are set in motion to create drawings, movements, compositions, sounds, and objects based on their perception of and interaction with the space and time they occupy. The devices I construct often play the roles of both observer and creator, providing limited and mechanical perspectives of dynamic situations and living objects. The work is a result of the combination of a particular event and the residue left after the event.” His work thus offers an imperfect and revealing transposition of data. “In some ways, the devices are attempting, often futilely, to simulate or mimic a natural form, system, or function. When the mechanisms fail to replicate the natural system, the result is a completely unique outcome. It is these unpredictable occurrences that I find most fascinating. These outcomes are a collaboration between the natural form or function, the mechanism, and myself. This combination can be seen as an elaborate and even absurd method of capturing qualified data. I see the data collected in this manner as aesthetic data.”
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tele-present wind
Biography
Born in the US in 1975. He is an award winning studio artist and educator. His work has been featured in numerous group and and solo exhibitions and publications nationally and internationally. He received his BFA from Herron School of Art in 1999 and his MFA from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis in 2004. He is currently an Associate Professor of Sculpture and Physical Computing at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Solo exhibitions at Cohen Gallery/Brown University, RI, Minnesota Museum of American Art/MN, Mattress Factory of Contemporary Art/Pittsburgh, l’assaut de la menuiserie/Saint-Etienne, France, Minneapolis Institute of Arts/MN, Biennale Interieur in Kortrijk/Belgium, Esther Klein Gallery/Philadelphia, Laboratoria Art + Science Centre/Moscow, Soo Visual Art Centre/Minneapolis, Vox Populi/Philadelphia, PA. He has participated in numerous group exhibitions at such venues as: Centre for Art & Media/Germany, Eden Project/ Cornwall, CAFA Art Museum/China, MAK Austrian Museum of Contemporary Art/Vienna, Beall Centre for Art + Technology/LA Centre for Contemporary Culture/Barcelona, Shanghai Contemporary Art Museum/Shanghai, The National Art Gallery/Tokyo, EDF Foundation/Paris, Copernicus Science Centre/Warsaw, Le CENTRE-QUATRE/Paris, ZKM Centre for Art + Media/Germany, Inter/Access/Toronto, Awards include DinaCon, Pier 9 Artist in Residence, CA Mattress Factory, residency and commission, 2014/15 McKnight Visual Artist Fellowship, Minneapolis, MN Artist Initiative Grant,18th Japan Media Arts Festival, Jury recommended work, Tokyo 2012 Prix Ars, international Cyber Arts Competition, Ars Electronica, Linz 2011 The Arctic Circle, The Farm Inc., New York, NY Alternative Now: 2011 WRO Biennale, Wroclaw, Poland Internet of Things Award, Editors Choice: Best Networked Art Transitio_MX 04, Honorable Mention, New Media Art and Video Festival, Mexico City Artist Initiative Grant, Minnesota State Arts Board, St. Paul, MN 2010 13th Japan Media Arts Festival, Grand Prize Art Division, Tokyo Vida 12.0 Art and Artificial Life International Awards, third prize, Madrid 2009 Siggraph Artist in Residence, New Orleans, LA 2008 Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, fellowship and residency, Omaha, NE 2007 Joan Mitchell fellowship, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT 2005 Sculpture Space, fellowship and residency, Utica, NY 2004 The Drawing Center Viewing Program, New York, NY
Credits
tele present wind, 2007

86 tansy stalks, accelerometer, mechanical x/y tilting devices, computers, prosthetic connectors, streamed real-time data

Nathalie Miebach (USA)

Hurricane Noel III
Miebach’s work focuses on the intersection of art and science and the visual articulation of scientific observations. Using the methodologies and processes of both disciplines, she translates scientific data related to ecology, climate change and meteorology into three-dimensional structures. Her method of translation is principally that of weaving – in particular basket weaving – providing her with a simple yet highly effective grid through which to interpret data in three-dimensional space. Central to this work is her desire to explore the role visual aesthetics play in the translation and understanding of scientific information. By utilizing artistic processes and everyday materials, she questions and expands the traditional boundaries through which science data has been visually translated (ex: graphs, diagrams), while at the same time provoking expectations of what kind of visual vocabulary is considered to be in the domain of ‘science’ or ‘art’. Sound and musical notation are further ways she translates and explores the behaviour of meteorological data. She translates weather data into musical scores that are built entirely of weather data, but also integrates human experiences and interpretations of weather events. The juxtaposition of objective data and more nuanced, subjective readings of weather, leads to a musical/sculptural translation that explores how human emotions and experiences influence the perception of weather. These musical scores are then translated into woven sculptures. At the same time, they are also used in collaborations and commissioned works by emerging composers and have been performed in concerts throughout the US and Canada. Her collaborations with composers and musicians are two-fold: to pull a nuance or level of emotionality from her research that is harder for her to achieve through the sculptures, and to allow musicians to identify ad reveal patterns or stories in the data that she has failed to see.
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Hurricane Noel III
Biography
Nathalie Miebach explores the intersection of art and science by translating scientific data related to meteorology, ecology and oceanography into woven sculptures and musical scores/ performances. Her main method of data translation is that of basket weaving, which functions as a simple, tactile grid through which to interpret data into 3D space. Central to this work is her desire to explore the role visual and musical aesthetics play in the translation and understanding of complex scientific systems, such as weather. Miebach is the recipient of numerous awards and residencies, including a Pollock-Krasner Award, Virginia A. Groot Foundation Award, TED Global Fellowship, 2 Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellowships and the Fine Arts Work Center. She did her undergraduate studies in Chinese and Political Science at Oberlin College. She received an MFA in Sculpture and an MS in Art Education from Massachusetts College of Art. Her work has shown nationally and internationally, and has been reviewed by publications spanning fine arts, design, and technology. She lives in Boston.
Credits
Hurricane Noël III, 2015 (Sculpture) 15” x 15" Mixed Media

Hurricane Noël (Musical Score) Grid Paper, coloured pen, 2010 Framed

Recorded Performances / Hurricane Noël:

Nineteen Thirteen(cello, percussion) Janet Schiff, Scott Johnson, Victor DeLorenzo 18 minutes – life recording at the Milwaukee Art Museum, April 2011.

Axis Ensemble(violin, piano, cello, clarinet, bass) Elliot Cless, Philip Acimovic, Glenn Dickson, Jason Coleman, and Sid Richardson 14 minutes – life recording at the Lilypad, March 2010.

Chris Welsby (UK)

Wind Vane
Wind Vane, by Chris Welsby is the earliest work we have shown in the gallery. Originally shot on 16mm film, it is now presented in digital format, in a direct scan from the 16mm film. In 1972, Welsby mounted two bolex cameras on wooden tripods and attached wind vane attachments. He then positioned them 50’ apart along an axis of 45° to the direction of the wind. Both cameras were then free to spin and pan a full 360° over Hampstead Heath, London. On that day, 47 years ago, the movement of the cameras and what was captured, was controlled by wind speed & direction. Welsby developed as an artist during a period when Structural filmmaking was at its height in Britain. He shared the Structuralist concern that the processes of filmmaking should be transparent and this desire for transparency is central to an understanding of the work. 'Systems' are central to his thinking, in the form of the unseen structures that connect natural phenomena with human mental processes and technologies. He received a BA from Chelsea School of Art. Welsby began making experimental landscape films and installations in the early 70s and although he has used a range of mediums he has consistently explored the problematic relationship between humans, human technology and the natural world. His films have screened consistently in Cinematheques and art galleries around the world since 1972. A pioneer of moving images in the gallery, his expanded cinema works and installations continue to delight gallery visitors, break new conceptual ground and attract critical attention. In 1993, Welsby abandoned film and began using digital media.
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Wind Vane
Biography
Chris Welsby, landscape artist and pioneer of the moving-image gallery installation in Britain, whose subtle meditations are exhibited in museums and galleries around the world. Welsby has been making and exhibiting work since 1969. He completed undergraduate diplomas at Central School of Art and is a graduate of the early Experimental Media Department at Slade School of Fine Art, London. Welsby developed as an artist during a period when Structural filmmaking was at its height in Britain. He shared the Structuralist concern that the processes of filmmaking should be transparent and this desire for transparency is central to an understanding of the work. 'Systems' are central to his thinking, in the form of the unseen structures that connect natural phenomena with human mental processes and technologies.  He received a BA from Chelsea School of Art. Since 1989 he has been Professor of Fine Art (retired) at Simon Fraser University - School for the Contemporary Arts. Welsby began making experimental landscape films and installations in the early 70s and although he has used a range of mediums he has consistently explored the problematic relationship between humans, human technology and the natural world. His films have screened consistently in Cinematheques and art galleries around the world since 1972. A pioneer of moving images in the gallery, his expanded cinema works and installations continue to delight gallery visitors, break new conceptual ground and attract critical attention.  In 1993, Welsby abandoned film and began using digital media. Since 2004 he has been working collaboratively with Vancouver based new media artist and software programmer Brady Marks. His film and film/video installations have been exhibited internationally, at galleries such as Tate and Hayward, London, the Musée du Louvre, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, Museum of Modern Art, New York, Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh, AGO, Toronto, Serpentine Gallery/ London, Gwangju Biennale/South Korea. His work has been screened around the world since 1973, at such places as Rhode Island Museum of Art, AGO, Institute of Modern Art/Australia, Hammer Museum/LA, Tate, Museum D’Art Moderne/Paris, The Art Institute/Chicago, His work is held in the collections of Tate, Musée National D’art Moderne Centre Georges Pompidou/Paris, Arnolfini/Bristol, Museum of the Moving Image/London.
Credits
Chris Welsby Wind Vane, 1972

Projection : Two Channel Video from 16mm Film

Installation Component: Original 16mm Bolex Camera + Wooden Tripod, Wooden Wind Vane

Spencer Finch (USA)

2 hours, 2 minutes, 2 seconds (Wind at Walden Pond, March 12, 2007), 2007
The programmed movement of air from a series of common, industrial fans, recreates the changing breeze experienced by transcendentalist philosopher Henry Thoreau during his 1845-46 stay on the shores of Walden Pond. Thoreau made scientific and poetic observations of the natural phenomena around him. His 2 year, 2 month, 2 day vigil has been recreated by Finch in compressed format. The work celebrates and questions the nature of perception and received experience.

Spencer Finch records the atmospheric light and weather patterns of psychologically charged places and remakes those conditions using TV sets, fluorescent tubes, watercolor paints, and household fans. Over the past two decades, the 51-year-old, Brooklyn-based artist has used scientific methodology to try to pin down the ineffable qualities of light and color, perception and memory, ultimately to expose how they fall short. ARTNEWS (Hilarie Sheets)
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Walden
Biography
Born in New Haven, CT, USA in 1962 and lives and works in Brooklyn, NY, USA. He has a BA in comparative literature from Hamilton College, Clinton, NY, USA (1985) and an MFA in sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design, RI, USA (1989). Solo exhibitions include Arcadia University, Spruance Gallery, Glenside, PA, USA (2019); ‘Fifteen Stones (Ryoanji)’, Fundacio Mies van der Rohe, Barcelona, Spain (2018); ‘Cosmic Latte’, MASS MoCA, North Adams, MA, USA (2017); ‘Lost Man Creek’, Public Art Fund, New York, NY, USA (2016); Marfa Contemporary, TX, USA (2014), Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indiana, USA (2013), the Art Institute of Chicago, USA (2011), Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, North Adams, USA (2007) and Portikus, Frankfurt am Main, Germany (2003). He participated in the Folkestone Triennial, UK (2011) and the 53rd Venice Biennale, Italy (2009). Public commissions include Crossrail, London, UK (2019, forthcoming); the Public Art Fund, New York, NY USA (2016); and The High Line, New York, NY, USA (2008).

His work is found in collections such as Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA Bank of America, New York, NY, USA Bloomberg LLC, New York, NY Brown University Art Collection, Providence, RI, USA Cleveland Clinic Art Collection, Cleveland, OH, USA Collection Lambert, Avignon, France Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, USA Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO, USA Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Dunedin, New Zealand Harvard Business School, Boston, MA, USA High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA, USA Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC, USA Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA Kemper Art Museum, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA Kirkland and Ellis, Chicago, IL, USA Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, North Adams, MA, USA Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt am Main, Germany Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL, USA Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA, USA Progressive Collection, Cleveland, OH, USA Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia Rhode Island School of Art, Museum of Art, Providence, RI, USA Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY, USA Toledo Art Museum, Toledo, OH, USA Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Salt Lake City, UT, USA Virginia Museum of Art, Richmond, VA, USA Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT, USA
Credits
SPENCER FINCH 2 hours, 2 minutes, 2 seconds (Wind at Walden Pond, March 12, 2007), 2007

44 fans, wood, computerized dimmer board

93 inches tall, 14 feet in diameter