Experimenter
En Couleur
Alexis
Bamforth aka Experimenter En Couleur is an artist who uses traditional and emerging
technologies to explore new relationships between sound, colour,
form, time and the users. These are multidisciplinary works often using modes of reactive expression to
straddle music, image and sculpture and explore the intersection of abstract communication and interactivity. From the interactive generative
artworks of the See-Sound Tests and Evolution Synthetica at the
V&A, to the multi million pound construction of the glass
and light canopy at Cardinal Place, work is with many mediums
and on many scales.
As former architect his fascination with form and colour brought
music to the forefront as a purer method of expression and now
he produces images to represent ideas encountered in sound
and vice versa. He is founder of one commercial and two charitable organisations, curates and has published several works.
Organisations
Started Digital Tea, 2009
Collaboration with Shroomstudio & Creatmosphere, for multi-disciplinary
projects. www.digitaltea.co.uk
Founded Audio Architecture in 2006
A forum, outlet and gallery for contemporary arts. www.audioarchitecture.co.uk
Co-founded the Din-Collective in 2002
A group of over 60 innovative sound and image artists from around
the world. Din-Collective
Curated
Din-London 2009, Din-London, Shunt Lounge. (Co-curated, Serena
Bobowski & Messaoud Benramdam)
Din-Berlin 2006, Din-Berlin, Storage. (Sole curator)
Din-Barca 2005, Din-Barcelona, Sonar Week. (Sole curator)
Din-London 2005, Din-London, Bardens Boudoir. (Sole curator)
Din-NY 2004, Din-NY, Tonic & Galapagos. (Co-Curated with Adam
Sloan & Jacky Wax)
Din-Barca 2004, Din-Barcelona, Sonar Week. (Co-Curated with Adam
Sloan)
Installations
and Constructed Works - Selected
See
Sound ProjectC - Shunt Lounge, London (2009)
Multi touch Lissajous test interface, displays touch sensitive
waveforms in a three-dimensional space, ready for real-time manipulation.
The Digital Tea Party - Tent London 2009, London
Design Week
Collaboration with Shroomstudio and Creatmosphere. A dynamic
installation of immersive media, referring to the house of the
future. It explores digital tracking and computer technology
to control our local environment through interaction with lo-fi
inanimate objects, in this case the tea set.
Two Tweeters - Audio Architecture 2009
Two speakers mounted in a tree, painted yellow, with tweeter
removed and driver disconnected. Inside adapted for nesting.
Speakers require active birdsong to work.
Generative Outside Inside - Audio Architecture
2008
Transformation a typical London house through weather patterns.
A one year construction-heavy build, that takes its evolving
ambience from the element's generative processes. Glass, natural
light, artificial light and precipitation are used to transform
internal surfaces and our perception of the space we are in.
798 Factory Installation - DIAF 2008, Beijing
In collaboration with Yan Jun the installation refers to the
history of the district by taking live sound signals from the
original ductwork that form the axis into the gallery site.
Visitors are drawn towards the gallery by resonating mechanical
and generative sound pulses, to discover its mechanical source.
Part of the opening ceremony for DIAF, the Dashanzi Arts Festival.
and will be on permanent exhibition in the near future.
Mirrored Samples - Beck's Futures, ICA, London
(2007)
A collaborative piece for Matthew Herbert. Conceptual work around
mirroring, in which collaborators samples are projected and
played from opposite sides of a space. As audio can be echoed,
so too can space itself. Being filmed by 5 cameras it has the
ability to produce infinite reflections. (performance not executed)
Evolution Synthetica - Raphael Room, V&A,
London (2006)
A symbiotic performance of evolving sound and image. Live experiments
describing evolutionary processes use generative sound synthesis,
microscopy, macro footage and live generative digital animation
to create a sensory spectacle bridging art and science.
Cardinal Place - Westminster, London (completed
2006)
Design and management of 4million pound project for EPR Architects
Ltd. consisting of a sixty metre glass and steel canopy spanning
the courtyard at Cardinal Place. Project also includes Portland
House extension and lighting.
ProjectC001 - Din-Berlin 2006, Storage, Berlin
Generative synthesising instrument that creates chance combinations
of sounds over the time required to play them. Sounds are played
to no specific scale or time signatures, but inevitably form
their own micro structures and containing compositions.
Waldorf Hotel Foyer - Waldorf Hotel, London
(2004)
Re-design and contemporary refurbishment, for EPR Architects
Ltd. using floating ceilings, fabric and backlit glass walls
to add colour and drama to entrance hall, reception and intermediate
spaces.
In Out Club - Picadilly, London (2003)
Concept design of exclusive members club, involving the idea
of guests as performers in the buildings facade.
Pod Hotel - Travel Inn, Heathrow (2002)
Pod design conception and construction, consisting of 416 pre-constructed
timber pods stacked on site to form bedroom units.
Fusion Club – Leeds (1999)
Concept design for a club. Modifying the Leeds Roundhouse into
an organism like structure that reacts to its users in real-time
via hive mind and can so cater for a variety of events.
A Maze - Brunswick Building, Leeds (1998)
An installation to simulate a confusing external environment.
Uses natural daylight, blackout fabric, white paint, found obstacles
and recorded sound to give able bodied persons the experience
of blindness.
Meander
- West Gate Gardens, Canterbury (1995)
A series of immense sandstone rocks diverting the river to forced
meanders. The rocks not only create natural architectural forms,
but through increased erosion evolve to also represent time.
Publications - audio CD
Testing the Wheel EP
Limited Edition of 400 hand drawn and printed audio CD and sleeve.
(Audio Architecture, AARCH-001)
Publications - printed
Contemporary Lighting Design within Public Space
Tokyo, NY, San Francisco, KL & Dubai, with interview from
Howard Brandston.
Neural Nets Within Architecture
A theoretical paper looking into buildings and public spaces
as organisms and self thinking machines, able to react to and
adapt our environment.
Publications - forthcoming
Testing The Wheel album - Audio DVD with accompanying visual
experiments (Third Ear) V&A Evolution Synthetica Performance
- DVD (Third Ear).
See Sound Tests DVD - ProjectC Lissajous tests (Audio Architecture).
Form, Colour & Time - The paper analyses the inner dynamics
of visual form, colour and time in relation to our perception
of sound.
Performances - Selected
Evolution Synthetica - Rafael Room, V&A, London (2006)
A symbiotic performance of evolving sound and image generated
from lifes organisms.
Storage, Berlin (2006)
Generative sound performance for Din Berlin showcase.
Din-Barca 2005 - The Loft, Barcelona
A performance from self made generative instruments and their
compositions, Din-Barcelona, Sonar Week.
Din-Barca 2005 - Mau Mau, Barcelona
Presentation of collaborative films with live sound fx.
Stream - Bishopsgate, London
Mixed live and DJ set.
Din-Barca 2004 - Casa Paco, Barcelona
Microtonal performance from field recordings for Din-Barcelona,
Sonar Week.
Sud Electronic - The City Arts & Music Project,
City Road, London (2004)
Detroit based rhythmic patterns with generated lead instruments.
Din-NY 2004 - Galapagos, Brooklyn
Generative sound compositions for Din-NY.
Din-NY 2004 - Tonic, NY
Sampled film mixing performance.
Din-Barca 2003 - Casa Paco, Barcelona
Field recordings from Japan for Din-Barcelona, Sonar Week.
Round @ Cube, Barcelona (2003)
Sound compositions involving found sounds from the Japanese
transport system.
Prior
to 2002 performances were regular fortnightly occurrences and
mainly Leeds or London based. Performances were a form of cut
up live detroit. The Lex & Tim duo played in such places
as the Orbit and Warehouse in Leeds, with experiences on LSR
radio, in borrowed studios and at parties, alongside the likes
of Joey Beltram, Squarepusher and Sven Vath.
Current
Projects
Upcoming Events
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Galapagos,
New York - 2004
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Evolution,
V&A, London - 2006
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Kreuzberg, Berlin - 2006
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