Amos Cochran | Color Field Outside/In and N.I. (Natural Intelligence)
Exhibition Dates: October 28 - November 22, 2024
Gallery Hours: Work activated from sunset to sunrise each day
ICOSA Collective is proud to present two sound pieces by Amos Cochran, Color Field Outside/In and N.I. (Natural Intelligence).
Color Field Outside/In
Originally commissioned by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. When I was designing this piece, I extensively researched the Color Field movement of the 1940’s and 1950’s. During my research, I discovered that before the Color Field movement, color was considered a secondary means of conveying emotion, with figures being the primary source. When Helen Frankenthaler began soaking large portions of canvas with paint and omitting figures, she allowed the color itself to guide the emotion of the work. I was inspired by this concept and set out to translate it into musical terms. Traditionally, melody is the main source of emotion in music, with musical texture serving as a secondary source. My idea was to strip away the melody and let sonic texture be the primary emotional driver.
N.I. (Natural Intelligence)
While spending time with the original curatorial statement for the exhibition where N.I. (Natural Intelligence) premiered, the ideas of consumption as a pervasive aspect of modern life, the consequences of our cravings, and the elimination of nuance in our interactions with each other, I began to audiolize the idea of interrupted introspection. I wanted to create an audio space that feels as though the channel regularly changes to something different, something new and fleeting, without nuance, allowing us no time to take it in before the next switch. The questions then became: how would we react to such interruptions? Would we merely anticipate them, or would we settle into the overall movement of the piece and find ourselves in a space that, perhaps paradoxically, not only allows contemplation but encourages it? I see this work as an abstraction of my overall relationship with technology and how its consumption plays a crucial role in our societal psyche. Though I use concepts as jumping-off points, I always understand my work better from the process of creating it. N.I.came to life by combining improvisations on an old software sound generator with visuals of soft abstract shapes and strobes that meld colors and film grains. All of the individual pieces are synced by hand in an editing program rather than by way of a software algorithm that responds to the audio. It’s interesting to build a work of this scale in a time when A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) has risen to become the supreme benchmark for creating a “smarter, faster, and more efficient way of production.” It seems that the term “A.I.” became a household name with the image program Midjourney, where anyone could give a few words as prompts and, “using A.I.,” an image would be generated. As I worked on the visuals, the inverse of Midjourney came to mind: What if A.I. came full circle and started giving humans prompts, expecting results (and being amused) in the time it takes for a human to build a visual piece by using their natural intelligence instead of an algorithm? Is it possible that time and attention allow for something wholly digital to feel more meaningful and nuanced? I hope this work encourages contemplation and allows the user’s mind to wander, ideally coming to reflect on their relationship with our consumption of technology.
Interdisciplinary artist Amos Cochran is an Emmy-Nominated composer working at the intersection of organic and digital material. As an artist, he uses sound and projected imagery to create a modern experience that challenges the viewers psychological experience with themselves. As a film composer, he gravitates towards work that challenges the traditional form and process of how a score best supports the story. Often using traditional instruments in abstract ways and creating a musical identity for the viewer to float through while they are experiencing their version of the story. His work has been showcased at the Sundance, Berlin, and Toronto Film Festivals; The London Design Festival; Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art; The Unexpected; NPR Live Sessions; PBS; The University of Houston Brain Center; Artfields, ASSEMBLY, FORMAT Festival and The Momentary.
www.amoscochran.com
About
The Soundscape Project consists of sound works played via an outdoor stereo system in the breezeway at the Canopy Complex (916 Springdale Road), from sundown to sunset each day. Each month ICOSA will feature a new sound artist, culled from local, national, and international artist submissions. Each monthly featured artist’s work will be played on a loop and will be accessible to the public free of charge. The Soundscape Project provides sound artists a unique and specific platform for their work, dedicated to the act of listening. For more information and to apply please follow this LINK
Amos Cochran / Color Field Outside/In and N.I. (Natural Intelligence)
Exhibition Dates: October 28 - November 22, 2024
Special Audio/Visual Installation event: November 15, 7-9 pm
Gallery Hours: Work activated from sunset to sunrise each day
916 Springdale Rd, Bldg 2, #102
Austin, TX 78702
www.icosacollective.com
