West Coast landscape is being brought indoors with the upcoming Soundscape/Landscape art exhibit at The ACT Art Gallery in January.
It’s an experience that’s unlike other art galleries, because this one evokes multiple senses by blending the “music of sound” and landscape art together in an experimental exhibition.
The premise of the exhibit is that sound has its own landscape, created by volume, pitch and other sonic measurements.
Artist Gary Wyatt, showcases his landscape drawings done in charcoal and polychromos pencil, and sound artist Jay Bundy Johnson accompanies the visual art with what he calls a “Musique Concrete” machine – a device that creates a montage of everyday sounds.
Wyatt said he’s been doing art “pretty much forever,” but he’s mostly had a focus on painting in the past.
In more recent times, he’s set a stronger focus on solely pencil drawing, which is the medium he uses for his pieces in the upcoming gallery.
“More recent has been drawing, and I think I’m falling more and more into just drawing, which is what I originally did and always loved,” Wyatt added.
“It’s slow, careful, tons and tons of details. You see a painter take a brush and do a sunset in about four seconds and to me, that’s about a month and a half away. It’s a different kind of feeling, and I like the sense of detail you can get with pencil.”
Much of Wyatt’s work is of the rustic West Coast landscape.
“I like detail and the thing about British Columbia is that trees come up front row and centre so you’re not interpreting the horizon line in the distance, you’re getting close up details of moss and trees. It’s more confrontational, its right in front of you, and it’s quite chaotic.”
Wyatt, who is a graduate of Alberta College of Art and specialized in museum studies at the University of British Columbia, went on to become a founder of the Spirit Wrestler Gallery in Vancouver.
“There was never a question. It was going to be that [art] from day one,” he added.
Bundy Johnson is also drawn to detail and chaos.
He’s a Vancouver-based visual artist, producer, musician, and educator and said he’s fascinated by sound and its impact on perception.
“Earbuds and headphones shield us from the fascinating rhythms of foot traffic, barking dogs, children playing. Restaurants mask the happy thrum of conversation and clattering dishes with ‘surround sound’ and ‘sub woofers.’ I mourn the loss of pure background ambience.”
Soundscape/Landscape opens at The ACT Art Gallery at 11944 Haney Place, on Saturday, Jan. 12 and runs until Saturday, Feb. 23.
The opening reception is on Sunday, Jan. 13 and both artists will be present from 2 to 4 p.m.
Wyatt will give a talk and tour of the exhibit on Saturday, Jan. 19 from 1 to 2 p.m.
Gallery admission is free to the public.
