VISUAL ARTS + MUSEUMS

McClain Gallery presents the exhibition Jeff Shore and Jon Fisher: Reel to Reel. Artists Reception: Saturday, December 17, 3:00 - 5:00 PM. On view December 17, 2011 - February 4, 2012.

"Experiencing Reel to Reel is like being in a mechanical apparatus (a finely tuned watch, for instance) and observing how it works from the inside. One senses a constant dialogue between the mechanical and the electronic-a dialectic of instability and precision, chaos and order."  - Kemper Museum curator Christopher Cook quoted in past interview

Jeff Shore and Jon Fisher: Reel to Reel propels viewers into a multisensory experience through a matrix of experimental sounds, live video sequences, and electromechanical sculptures. Once activated, each kinetic device generates animated video or musical compositions that are synthesized in real time to create a poetic, cinematic experience. Texas-based artists Jeff Shore and Jon Fisher bridge high- and low-tech instruments-handmade kinetic sculptures and props, vinyl records, analog electronics, and video sequencing software-to create an enveloping installation that is both captivating and theatrical.

Fashioned from wood, wires, lights, motors, and automated video and audio components, Reel to Reel advances ideas about the relationship between the moving image and sound, and the dialogue surrounding the histories of film, music, and human/technology interfaces.

The creation of these works is a collaborative process between the artists: Shore develops the mechanics and the set-scenes, while Fisher programs the microchips and composes the soundtracks using original compositions, digital audio samples and mechanically operated instruments.

Jeff Shore (b. 1969, Richmond, IN; lives in Houston, TX) earned his BFA from the University of North Texas, Denton. Jon Fisher (b. 1969, Texas City; lives in Dripping Springs, TX) received a BM from the University of North Texas and an MM and DM from Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. Shore and Fisher?s collaborative works have been featured in solo exhibitions at McClain Gallery, Derek Eller Gallery, NY and numerous group exhibitions, including Constructions & Architecture, The Dallas Center for Contemporary Art, Dallas and Texas Prime, DiverseWorks, Houston.

Reel to Reel was Shore and Fisher?s first solo museum exhibition and was previously shown at the Clementine Gallery, New York (2007) Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City (November 7, 2008-January 11, 2009), the Weatherspoon Art Museum, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (February 1-April 12, 2009), and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Scottsdale, AZ (November, 2009-January 24, 2010).

The artists will be present for the opening reception on Saturday, December 17 from 3 - 5 p.m.

Image: Installation view of Reel to Reel, 2007, mixed media, dimensions variable, courtesy of the artists.  (detail above, full image below).