BRINK presents Bruce Tovsky and Matt Davignon

Wed, Dec 28
9:30pm
$15

BRINK: Other-Minded Music, a monthly concert series by Other Minds, =

presents performances by New York visual/sound artist Bruce Tovsky, =

and Oakland-based experimental musician Matt Davignon.

Tovsky will perform his most recent video/sound piece ETHER, which =

premiered at 106BLDG30 in the Brooklyn Navy Yard in June 2005, and =

has been playing in international festivals from S=E3o Paulo to Seoul. =

The sound from ETHER was also featured recently in the BBC4 radio =

documentary "Tracking the Lincolnshire Poacher," a provocative and =

disturbing look at shortwave numbers stations. With evocative sound =

and visual elements, ETHER aims to create an immersive environment of =

data decay. Images crackle and distort, merging in and out of video =

noise. The hiss and hum of sound thousands of miles away fills the =

room; snatches of music and voices decompose into static. In a =

darkened room, the video diptych is projected on a flat white wall as =

the only illumination.

In addition, Tovsky and Davignon will perform two improvisational =

pieces together, one initiated by each artist. Both will draw on =

recently accumulated materials, and neither artist will know before =

the performance what the other has at hand. Tovsky will also =

incorporate recent video work that he has assembled for this event.

Bruce Tovsky <www.skeletonhome.com> earned his MFA degree in =

Multimedia (Film, Video, Sound, Performance and Installation Art) =

from Rutgers University in 1979. He began showing video across the =

USA, Europe, and Japan in the early 1980's, and his work is in the =

collections of The Kitchen and The New York Library Donnell Library =

Center. He embarked on a diverse career as an audio engineer/producer =

(Liquid Liquid, Lydia Lunch, Karen Finley, Foetus) and video editor/ =

designer of commercials and music videos. For the past several years =

he has been creating live video and sound improvisations, often in =

collaboration with sound artist John Hudak, in a variety of spaces =

around New York City, including Diapason, Experimental Intermedia, =

Issue Project Room, and his own installation space 106BLDG30 in the =

Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Since 1993, Matt Davignon <www.ribosomemusic.com> has developed a =

unique style of music which focuses on textures, arrhythmic patterns =

and musical imperfections. Combining acoustic and electronic =

elements, he attempts to create dynamic, biological music from =

seemingly limited source material. Since 2004--after spending time =

focusing individually on bass guitar, live sound collage, consumer- =

grade electronics, prepared acoustic guitar, real-time sampling/ =

looping, experimental turntablism, and field recording--he has been =

working almost exclusively with a drum machine. Rather than using it =

as a rhythm device, he plays the pads manually while processing the =

sounds through an array of effects devices and samplers, improvising =

music composed of organic-sounding textures, hums, gurgles and =

crackles. Davignon is also active in organizing experimental and =

unusual music performances in the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition =

to being responsible for such events as The San Francisco Found =

Objects Festival and Sound/Shift Oakland, and helping to launch the =

Field Effects series, he is one of the curators for the Luggage Store =

Gallery New Music Series.

Venue:

Hemlock Tavern
1131 Polk Street
San Francisco

http://www.hemlocktavern.com

Between Post and Sutter, one block east of Van Ness Avenue.

Additional Info:

415-934-8134
http://www.otherminds.org