Solina Hi-Fi

James Thomas

Hum, James Thomas and Solina Hifi, curated by Volume

Hum, James Thomas and Solina Hifi, curated by Volume

Hum, James Thomas and Solina Hifi, curated by Volume

Hum

James Thomas and Solina Hi-Fi

Curated by Volume

March 25 - 14 May 2011

Hum is a spatial and sonic inquiry into the complex acoustic ecology of the Bow Flyover in East London. The result of an ongoing collaboration, the exhibition is formed of a series of new drawings by James Thomas and a sonic environment created by Solina Hi-Fi.

Hum investigates the cartographic possibilities of drawing and sound to reveal the dense layering of actions, reactions, movements and counter-movements of the city infrastructure. Through a process of translation and exchange, the art works each attempt to construct a spatial awareness of the area around the overpass, extending beyond certain material boundaries to reveal meeting points and tensions where trajectories emanate. Using intuitive as well as scientific and mathematical means, the artists dissect and replay this dynamic convergence within the gallery space.

This particular collaboration between the artists is conceived of as a process of inquiry, or as Robert Irwin describes as a dialogue of immanence where 'certain questions become demanding and potentially unanswerable at a certain point in time', but that each of them have involved themselves in the same set of questions at the same time albeit through individual approaches to method and thought.

1.   The Solina Hi-Fi project developed through involvement with the London based arts    collective CutUp. Playing pure tones, drones and rhythms with hand built analogue synths, live instruments and other boxes with knobs on, Solina Hi-Fi explores the spectrum of raw noise and its' permutations creating heavily textured and driving

results. Strongly influenced by experimental krautrock artists of the late 60's, synth artists of the 70's and the early acid house and electronic movements that followed, while also being keenly interested in the pioneering experiments in sonic-physics and psycho-acoustics, of the present and past decades. Recent exhibitions include To Be Destroyed, FA Headquaters, London UK (2010), Daily, Action, Poetry, Hayward Gallery, London (2010) Dead Fingers Talk: The Tape Experiments of William S. Burroughs, IMT Gallery, London (2010)

2.   James Thomas (born Wales, lives in London) graduated from the MA in Fine Art, Central Saint Martins College of Art in 2004. In 2002, he was awarded the DRAWinternational residency in Caylus, France. As well as his research based studio practice, he has exhibited internationally as part of Melville Mitchell, a collaborative performance project. Recent exhibitions include En Residencia at at LABoral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial (2009), X-ray/Resonance FM at Frieze Art Fair, London 2010 and Propeller Island at Supermarket Art Fair (2011).