Nicholas Lesley
1083 Broadway Fl 2
Brooklyn NY 11221
510.459.6224
NickLesley@gmail.com
NickLesley.com
ARTIST STATEMENT
Nick Lesley is a video- and sound-artist exploring how the idea of play changes as we get older. Lesley regards spectator sports as improvisational interaction, in light of (for example) John Cage's systems for musical improvisation. He is most interested in activities and events that, while they may end, do not provide closure, as they reframe our interactions with the world around us. Recent works focus on subtly unsettling interactive sound- and video- installations intended to intimidate the viewers with their own presence.
EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE
2009-2011 Interaction Art Incubator Fellowship in Generative and New Media Arts. Analogous Projects, New York.
2005-2008 M.F.A. in Performance and Interactive Media Arts. City University of New York, Brooklyn College.
1997-2001 B.A. in Media Arts (major) and Music Technology (minor). University of California, San Diego.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS AND SCREENINGS
2009 Play With Fire Video Art Festival. (New York, NY.) Epic Doom (Black Metal City), an interactive video- and sound-installation and panel discussion.
2009 Wassaic Project. (Wassaic, NY.) Family Fun Single-Channel Summer Censor, 11:37-minute video, color, sound.
2009 Monkey Town. (Brooklyn, NY.) Dreaming in Cartoon Pornography, 21-minute two-channel video for four walls, color, sound.
2009 Ruffin Gallery. (Charlottesville, VA.) Leaves Interlaced, 3:20-minute video, color, silent.
2008 Over The Office. (Brooklyn, NY) Church of the Rough Guide, multi-channel video-installation, color, sound.
2007 AdHoc Art Space. (Brooklyn, NY.) The Duplication of Lost Objects / Salvation of an Amphitheatre, interactive video- and sound-installation, color, six-channel audio.
SELECTED PERFORMANCES AND COLLABORATION
2009 Synchro (Soundworm in Tokyo vs. Nick Lesley in NYC) at Loopline (Tokyo) and Supercore (NYC). Streaming, international, improvised music. Performer.
2009 Le Dernier Cri Presents: Les Religions Sauvages (animation by 41 artists from 11 countries) at Monkeytown. Improvised music performed as soundtrack. Performer.
2009 The Crimson Grail (by Rhys Chatham) at Lincoln Center. Guitar performance for 200 guitars. Performer.
2009 Elise. Music for short horror film (directed by Neal Jonas). Composer and recording artist.
2008 Power 2 (curated by Lisa Baldini) at Issue Project Room. Multimedia performance of movement (choreographed by Kristina Donello) together with music (by Avarus) and three-wall video projection. Performative live video-processing engineer.
2008 88 Boa Drum (by Boredoms), directed by Gang Gang Dance. Performer.
2008 Rough Guide to the Grotesque (with Eben Lillie) at The Living Theatre NYC. Video screening. Co-author and video-producer.
2007 Experimental Performance Ensemble at Wild Projects. Multimedia performance. Co-author, AV technician, performer.
2007 Metis (curated by Marie Evelyn and Melissa Gawlowski) at The Tank NYC. Experimental multimedia theater experiment. Live and performative audio-processing engineer.
2007 The Orbis Tertius Ensemble at AdHoc Art Space and The Tank NYC. An open score performance, conducted by computer-generated video. Video-programmer and performer.
2006 Seven Horsemen (with Scarlet Rivera and Stanley Ruiz) at The Living Room in Brooklyn. Collaborative multimedia performance. Co-author, video- and sound-designer, and performer.
2006 Sometime Ago I Was In Love With A Tree. Multimedia dance piece (choreography by Jenny Seastone Stern). Composer and recording artist.
2006 Accursed Items at Galapagos and BAX. Dance performance (choreography by Andrew Dinwiddie). Composer, performer.
2006 Aesthetics of Resistance. A twelve-hour audio book with music (by David Grubbs). Recording artist.
2006 Untitled at Galapagos, Brooklyn College, and Harvestworks. Performance and recording (conducted by Yoni Niv). Improvised performer and recording artist.
2006 Massive Knit in Washington Square Park NYC. A free-form knitting mob in honor of Jane Jacobs. Co-curator.
2005 ?ert. at Brooklyn College’s Black Box. A collaborative multimedia performance based on the panopticon. Co-author, sound- and video-designer, live sculptor.
ONGOING Necking (since 2004). Semi-improvised performance and recording project for two percussionists. Co-author, performer, and recording artist.
ONGOING Gunung Sari (since 2005). Music performance and recording project for handmade electronics and percussion, with interactive video programming. Co-author, programmer, performer, recording artist.
AUDIO RECORDINGS
2008 Dead Herring (Necking, CD). Percussion, electronics, voice.
2007 That Wanderest Unseen (Gunung Sari, CD). Percussion, electronics, recording, production.
2007 Invisible Things (Necking, CD). Percussion, programming, electronics, production.
2007 Goldfish Grow Over Graves (Necking, 7"vinyl.) Percussion, electronics, voice, recording, production.
2006 Slamat Trima Bintang (Gunung Sari, CD) percussion, electronics, recording, production.
2006 Dentist Heated Foil (Jazzhandzz, CD). Percussion, recording, production.
2005 We Accept Party (Necking, CD). Percussion, electronics, voice, recording, production.
2004 Toure de Force (Felicia & Coctopus, CD). Percussion, guitar, voice, recording, production.
2004 Pepper Knife (Vholtz, CD). Percussion, recording, production.
2004 Beating Dream (Hale Zukas, CD). Recording, production.
2002 Bang Bang (Oma Yang, CD). Guitar, percussion, electronics, mixing, production.
2000 From the Heart of Jumbo Malaria (Oma Yang, CD). Guitar, percussion, electronics.
1999 By June or Join Us (Oma Yang, 12" vinyl). Guitar.
ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2007 Electronic Arts Intermix. Distribution Associate and Technical Projects. Process and fill purchase and rental requests for video artworks to universities/galleries/museums, provide video still images for publications and promotional use, audio/visual engineer for public screening events.
2009 Rubin Museum of Art. AV Assistant, sound engineer, projectionist, lighting-engineer. Performance documentation.
2009 Kalup Linzy Studio. Technical Assistant to video-artist Kalup Linzy. Cinematography and video-editing.
2005 Issue Project Room. Live sound engineer, assistant curator. Operation of sixteen channel sound-system. Sound- and video-curation.
2001 Tri-Coast Studios. Assistant sound-engineer. Post-production audio and commentary.
SCHOLARLY INTERESTS
- Multi-Channel Video Installation
- Interactive Media Performance and Installation
- Physical Interfaces
- Improvisation and Physical Electronic Music
- Digital Conversion Processes
- Collaborative Improvisation in Performance
- Noise Aesthetics