JAMES CLAR Copyright Š 2019 Silverlens Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the above mentioned copyright holders, with the exception of brief excerpts and quotations used in articles, critical essays or research. Text Š James Clar. 2019 All rights reserved. No part of this essay may be reproduced, modified, or stored in a retrieval system or retransmission, in any form or by any means, for reasons other than personal use, without written permission from the author.
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A depiction of the sun rising and clearing the morning fog. Within the LED tubes you see the orange sun peaking through swirling clouds. Between the LEDs you see bands of color which represent the evaporation of the morning mist due to the rising temperature. The brightness levels are controlled so that the sun appears in the background and the technical indication of the temperature rising sits in the foreground.
A N e w Dawn, 2 0 1 9 LED l i g hts , f i l te rs 4 7 . 2 4 h x 4 7 . 2 4 w i n (1 20h x 120w c m) Ed i ti o n 3 o f 3
A laser design morphs and animates over a car door. It is a visualization of thought and daydreaming as you go for a car ride and stare out the window.
Ta k in g a rid e wit h m y b e s t fri e n d, 2019 ca r d o o r, co ntr o l l e d la s e r, g en erat i ve p at t ern d i m e ns i o ns v a ri a b l e
A circular motion of light is created with LED neon cast in clear resin that looks like water. Fruits and two birds are strewn about.
T y ph o o n (aro u n d an d a ro u n d w e g o ), 2019 r e s i n, LED ne o n, p la s ti c f r u i t s , g las s bi r ds 6 8 . 1 1 h x 6 8 . 1 1 w i n (1 7 3 h x 173w c m)
Taken from a Mazzy Star song that describes secrets as flowers in December. In the artwork flowers are cast into concrete with swirls of light moving around them. Two glass birds are placed within the concrete also. Send me your flowers of your December Send me your dreams of your candy wine I got just one thing I can’t give you Just one more thing of mine
F lo we rs in D e c e m b e r, 2 019 co ncr e te , LED ne o n, p la s ti c f lowers , g las s bi r ds 6 8 . 1 1 h x 6 8 . 1 1 w i n (1 7 3 h x 173w c m)
Laser scanners are used to create a 2D plane of light. Installed outside during the monsoon season, as it rains the individual drops pass through the wall of light. They sparkle and create a randomly generated noise field that is a com bination of natural and technological systems.
N o is e Fie ld # 1, 2 019 co ntr o l l e d la s e r, mon s oon rai n d i m e ns i o ns v a ri a ble
James Clar’s (b. 1979, USA) work is an analysis and observation on the affects of media and technology on our perception of culture, nationality, and identity. His interest is in new technology and production processes, using them as a medium, while analyzing and critiquing their modifying affects on human behavior. Clar studied film as an undergraduate at New York University focusing on 3D Animation, then continued on to his Masters at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program. It was here that he moved away from screen-based work and started working directly with light, creating sculptural lighting pieces. By developing his own systems with which to manipulate light, he discovered he could create unique visual displays, as well as circumvent the limitations of screen-based work, namely resolution and twodimensionality. In 2007 James moved to Dubai and lived there till 2012. In the five years living there he became an active participant in the development of the arts and culture scene of the globalized city. While his early work dealt with analyzing how technology and media work, his experiences in the Middle East saw his focus shift to how technology and media affect. This included themes
of nationalism, globalism, and popular culture in the age of mass information. Since returning back to New York, James’ work further explored the conceptual and narrative potential of light and technology. These systems are integrated into our daily lives, altering the way we receive information and communicate. They inform our perception of reality, time, and space. Every system for communication enhances certain types of information while limiting and simplifying others. These modulated effects to our perception have become a thematic focus to his works and a way to experiment with narrative forms. Clar was an artist in residence at Eyebeam Atelier in New York, Fabrica in Italy, and the FedEx Institute of Technology/Lantana Projects in Memphis. His artwork has been included in the Chanel Mobile Art exhibition (Tokyo), The New Museum of Contemporary Arts (New York), The Chelsea Art Museum (New York), The Somerset House (UK), Museum on Seam (Jerusalem), and Louis Vuitton Gallery (Hong Kong). James Clar lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2019 Noise Field #1, Silverlens, Manila 2018 The World Never Ends, Jane Lombard Gallery, New York 2017 Distant Lights, Strongroom, Newburg NY Volta NY, Galeria Senda, New York 2016 False Awakenings, Jane Lombard Gallery, New York 2015 Double Rainbow All The Way, Carbon 12, Dubai 2014 SEEK, Carroll / Fletcher, London ALL EVERYTHING, Parasol unit for contemporary art, London 2013 Data Packets, Galeria Senda, Barcelona 2012 Iris Was A Pupil, Carbon12 Gallery, Dubai Volta NY, Blythe Projects, Los Angeles 2011 ART FUTURES, ART HK 11, Hong Kong 2010 What Goes Around Comes Around, Caprice Horn Gallery, Berlin Acceleration, Art Dubai, Dubai 2009 For Your Eyes Only, Traffic, Dubai 2008 Galerie Roger Tator, Festival of Light, Lyon 2007 Lab [AU], Brussels 2006 SubSpace South, Memphis Material Art Gallery, Memphis SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2019 Error De Calculo, Galeria Impakto, Lima Memories of Earth, 870 Park Ave, New York Fifth World Problems, Studio 525, New York 2018 Glucksman Museum, Ireland Wavelength, Powerlong Museum, Shanghai Plugin, Contemporary Istanbul, Istanbul Light, CoAD Gallery at NJIT, New Jersey Transmission, Galerie Huit, Hong Kong Untitled San Francisco, Jane Lombard Gallery, San Francisco 2017 Synthesize: Art + Music, Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville Day For Night, Houston Flatland, Mana BSMT, Miami Looking at One Thing and Thinking of Something Else: Part
2016 2015 2014 2013 2012
3, Carroll / Fletcher, London Color Creation, Col-Lab gallery at Tokyo Polytechnic University, Tokyo No Vacancy II, Alt + Esc curated show @ Squat Gallery, Brooklyn Letters…, Athr Gallery, Jeddah That’s Not It, Mana Contemporary BSMT, New Jersey colección olorVISUAL, Can Framis Museum, Barcelona Looking at One Thing and Thinking of Something Else: Part 2, Carroll / Fletcher, London Slipping Tripping Falling Flipping, Meet D3 Dubai, Dubai This Is Not A Love Song, Pera Museum, Istanbul Peace Minus One, Seoul Museum of Art, Korea Smoke And Mirrors, Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville USA She Sells Sea Shells By The Seashore, Eric Firestone Gallery, New York James Clar / Dennis Loesch, Lange Strasse 31, Frankfurt Museum of Art & Design, Singapore Rockaway!, MoMA PS1 / Honolulu Biennial, New York Summer Art 2014, Sharjah Art Museum, Sharjah UAE Big Bang Data, Center for Contemporary Culture (CCCB), Barcelona The Language of Human Consciousness, Athr Gallery, Jeddah Dazed & Confused, Eric Firestone Gallery, New York They Sicken Of The Calm Who Know The Storm, Fridman Gallery, New York OnScreen, Carroll / Fletcher, London2013 CurateNYC, Top 150, Rush Arts Gallery, New York Aurora Dallas, AT&T Performing Arts Center, Dallas Coming To Terms, Jackman Humanities Institute, Toronto This Is Not A Love Song, Museum Palau de la Virreina, Spain LumenRay, Jerome Zodo Gallery, Milan, Italy Segment 3, Borusan Contemporary Museum, Istanbul Segment 2, Borusan Contemporary Museum, Istanbul Vienna Art Fair, Vienna
2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003
Forwards / Vorwaerts. Q Contemporary, Beirut Dark Side of the Moon, Carbon 12, Dubai Art Dubai, Dubai The Bravery of Being Out Of Range II, Athr Gallery, Jeddah The State: Social / Anti-Social, Traffic, Dubai West End?, Museum On The Seam, Jerusalem Art Futures, Art Hong Kong, Hong Kong Espace Louis Vuitton Hong Kong, Hong Kong ATHR Art Gallery, Jeddah Art Dubai, Dubai THE STATE: UPPERS & DOWNERS, Traffic, Dubai I Don’t Need Your Money Honey All I Need is Love, Traffic, Dubai Art Asia, Miami THE STATE, Traffic, Dubai Armed, Abu Dhabi Art 2010, Abu Dhabi SCOPE Basel, Basel ART HK 10, Hong Kong The Singular Suit, Somerset House, London My Name is Robot, thejamjar, Dubai Cliche in a Box, Traffic, Dubai Chanel Mobile Art Tokyo, Tokyo Museum of Science and Innovation, Tokyo Pop!Tech conference, Maine Wired Next Fest, New York 9th Japan Media Arts Festival, Museum of Photography, Tokyo NHK Digital Arts Festival, Tokyo Seoul Design Festival, Seoul WIRED NextFest, Chicago 8th Japan Media Arts Festival, Museum of Photography, Tokyo Milan Triennial, Milan VIPER Basel, Basel The Chelsea Art Museum, New York New Museum of Contemporary Arts, New York
ARTIST RESIDENCY 2018 Mana Contemporary, Jersey City, NJ 2006 FedEx Institute of Technology & Lantana Projects, Memphis 2004 Fabrica Research Facility, Benetton’s Design Research Facility, Italy 2003 Eyebeam Atelier, New York COMMISSIONS 2019 KAEC, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 2016 21c Museum Hotels, Oklahoma 2015 Sustained Fireworks, RCCL, Miami, USA 2014 Parasol Unit, London, United Kingdom 2013 Synesthesia, Fraport Headquarters, Frankfurt, Germany 2011 Media Hype, Free Fall, Lighting Installations at The Pavilion Downtown Dubai, Dubai 2010 Soundwave / Order Chaos Order, Lobby Art Installations at Rolex Tower, Dubai 1989, Public Installation for Art Abu Dhabi 2010 and Traffic 2008 3D Display Cube v4, Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology(CREST), University of Tsukuba Tokyo 2006 Inside / Out, Public Installation, FedEx Institute of Technology / Lantana Projects, Memphis EDUCATION 2003 Master in Media Art, Interactive Telecommunications Program, New York University, NY 2001 Bachelor of Arts, Film, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University, NY
ABOUT SILVERLENS
Through its artist representation, institutional collaborations, art consultancy, and exhibition programming including art fairs and gallery partnerships, SILVERLENS aims to place its artists within the broader framework of the contemporary art dialogue. Its continuing efforts to transcend borders across art communities in Asia have earned it recognition from both artists and collectors as one of the leading contemporary art galleries in Southeast Asia. SILVERLENS was founded by Isa Lorenzo and Rachel Rillo in 2004.