Billy Friebele | Current Recorder

Hamiltonian Gallery is proud to present Current Recorder, a new project by artist Billy Friebele. Current Recorder will run from November 17 through December 29 with an opening reception on Saturday, November 17 from 7-9 pm. Please join us for an artist's talk on Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 7:00 pm.

 In his debut solo exhibition as a Hamiltonian Fellow, Billy Friebele records wind currents, human movement and the passage of time through drawings generated by a kinetic found-object sculpture. Propelled by a windmill outdoors and motion sensors indoors, Current Recorder creates abstract spherical drawings that document the conditions of a specific location on a particular day. The drawings produced serve as visual meditations on time and place, illustrating that, as Heraclitus wrote, "No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man."   

Artist Statement
I am interested in the invisible currents that pulsate around us: traffic patterns, rhythms of inhabitance, subtle breezes, and gusting winds. I am also interested in what washes up in alleys and parking lots as a result of these currents: a pair of crutches, scraps of metal, shopping carts, hubcaps. 

Current Recorder is a kinetic sculpture made from these repurposed objects. It responds to invisible currents through mark making: if motion occurs, a line is drawn. If there is stillness, a dot forms.

The drawing process began in my studio, where motion sensors triggered a series of fans that activated the machine to draw. These drawings documented the passing time and served as a record of my activity in the studio. The sculpture was then deployed into urban spaces to record wind patterns and create site-specific drawings. This process has been extended into the gallery in a similar fashion: the movements of the viewer trigger motion sensors that cause the machine to draw. 

Much like a vintage jazz record captures a specific performance as both a piece of music and a tangible object, Current Recorder gives visibility to flux and ephemerality. The project was inspired by the writings of Heraclitus: “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man“.

 

 

click here to download a copy of the press release

 

November 17 - December 29, 2012

Opening Reception:
Saturday, November 17
7-9 pm

Artist's Talk:
Wednesday, December 12
7 pm

Hamiltonian Artists:
Billy Friebele