The artist presents his hand-crafted objects, consist of interactive, sound-activated spheres, which "dance" in real-time in response to ambient sound; when sound is no longer detected, the spheres come to rest, playing still-life.
Far From Equilibrium
Sara Tecchia Roma New York is proud to present Far from equilibrium, a solo
exhibition that marks the New York debut of Germany-based, New York-born artist
David Fried.
In our everyday life, the word "equilibrium" evokes a sense of functioning harmony
or balance. Only a state that is far from equilibrium, however, fosters the
self-reflection and reassessment necessary for creative growth, development and life
as we know or guess it.
Such dynamic relationships operating "far from equilibrium" are the common ground
for Fried's art. Weaned on Abstract Expressionism and improvisational music, his
inspiration is found in all that is unpredictable. His exploration into the inherent
qualities of networked systems intrinsic to nature and social endeavors are merged
into highly symbolic works, which deconstruct simplistic views of a mechanical
universe into interdependent systems more relevant to contemporary society.
His sculptural, photographic, and interactive works employ motifs that are
universally recognizable as organic or pertaining to natural phenomena, yet appear
influenced by man. He fuses minimalism and conceptual art with aesthetics and
philosophy to create works that transcend art-isms and scientific dogmas of our
socio-technological times.
His hand-crafted "Self organization still life" objects consist of interactive,
sound-activated spheres, which "dance" in real-time in response to ambient sound,
visualizing the live acoustics in a spontaneous and elegantly fluid choreography
before one's eyes. When sound is no longer detected, the spheres come to rest,
playing still-life.
No two spheres are alike - each is composed of either solid stone or synthetic
polymers layered with organic materials such as marble dust and rare earth. This
infuses them with a unique ability to store energy and interact with each other in
inimitable and unexpected ways, on an elemental level rather than a technological
one. Fried is therefore able to give each sphere an individual personality, allowing
them to respond differently to sound, as people would dance differently to the same
tune. More fascinating than the motions of any one sphere are the dynamic
relationships that unfold between them all.
With his series of color photograms titled "In bed with Lucy and Dolly," Fried uses
photo-sensitive film and flashes of light to capture the shadows of fleeting bubble
formations - no camera or lens is used. What we see in his enlarged chromogenic
prints are the latent shadows and spectral aberrations of these transparent forms.
In varying chromatic tones, Fried depicts these studies of shadow and light in a
manner that evokes a strong resemblance to primordial living cells as well as
engineered test-tube creations.
The title refers to Lucy (the early hominid "Mother"), to us (the "Myth-makers"),
and to Dolly the sheep (the first successful cloning of a live animal, or the
man-made "Missing Link"), highlighting man's progression from merely controlling our
existing environment, to engineering life-forms, to indulging in the inescapable
urge to invent our predecessors. Fried reminds us of just how strong yet corruptible
the architecture of life is, while taking us on a biomorphic journey from the
Cambrian sea to the technological womb.
Fried's work can be found in the permanent collections of Volksbank HQ,
Mönchengladbach, Germany; Kunst Museum Ritter, Waldenbuch, Germany; and the Stadt
Museum Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Additionally, he has been shown alongside that of
Horn, Rauschenberg and Calder in the traveling exhibition. "Drehen, Kreisen,
Rotieren" and he was also recently included "Genesis--The Art of Creation,"
alongside Duchamp, Beuys, Francis and others at the Zentrum Paul Klee.
Opening:September 12, 6 - 8pm
Sara Tecchia Roma New York
529 West 20th Street, New York
Free admission