Sound In Sound Out, A work from 2005, remade 2016.

This work was the culmination of the striving to make a work of art on a computer.
Since 1987 I’ve been trying to make something on the computer that uses the tool to it’s best advantage, rather than to pastiche earlier art styles. This seems to be the right thing to do. It still does; if you want a brush mark, make it with a brush.
So this work takes the endless layers, the sharpness of point (rather than the haziness of the screen pixel), the endless choice and the scalability of computer illustration.

Around 2005, I was asked to design an album cover for the Fall. ‘Country on the Click’ had a title that gave itself to a computer image, and I knew Mark E. Smith was influenced by Vorticism, so it seemed a perfect chance to meld the singer of the Fall, the jagged modernist visual shout of the Vortex and the computer. A dream job, being a lifelong fan of the band and the art movement. Talking to Mr. Smith was an experience, a very sharp brain, funny with it. Unfortunately, due to a problem with the mix of the record, the project was abandoned and became ‘Formerly Known As Country on the Click’ without my cover.

Just after this there was an invite to exhibit work at an exhibition at Golden Square. I decided to scale up he artwork, take off the typography and add some imagery of the view from where I was working, the arc of Regent Street looking on to the Aquascutum (now Austen Reed). Added to the artwork were ideas I had about modern sculpture from around 1992. Planes jutted out from the surface, making the ‘sound’ 3D and a tad more real. Printing out two large copies and with the use of a lot of Display mount, double sided polyboard and scalpels, I started after my normal work and had it finished by around 7AM  in the morning.  The work was exhibited with some smaller pieces of mine (in the same 3D computer created way about the composer Cornelius Cardew) at the mixed show.

At the private view my great friend Pam loved the work. Was it for sale? ‘Hmmm… it might fall apart’ I said. Over the years Pam has bought a can on Spray mount to keep it in good(ish) condition.

Late last year Pam asked me to ‘sort it out’, so after a lot of talk with printers, framers and another lot of Display mount, double sided polyboard and scalpels, there now exists a stronger version of the work, with a more dynamic feel. There are more thoughts on the title and the way sound is taken in and given out with the new work.

The flat version of the work.

Making the work a second time. Notice the full bin.
Below are some shots showing the dynamism of the final work.

One of my son’s says it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.

Art into taxi interface, the patron takes her prize (after a fantastic lunch). In the background is the place where the original was put together.
Regent Street, London, England.