CORE: a multi-media evening
by Lei Han with musical performances by Wayne Kirby + Roy Wooten (Futureman)
Inspired by a classic of Chinese Philosophical literature, The Dao De Jing, which offers insights concerning the cultivation of one’s body and attaining one’s proper place within nature and the cosmos, this audio/visual installation plays out of a tension between form and the formless, aims to make connections between the seen and unseen forces at play in nature. It is an artistic reflection on a journey in seeking connections between art, science, philosophy and the fundamental questions of human existence. The work conducts poetic, meditative or contemplative viewing experience which hopefully helps evoke viewer’s aesthetic sensibilities and further one’s self-awareness.
Core refers to the central, innermost, or most essential part of anything, where passion and desire deeply held in us. The video is filmed with Ferrofluid which is a liquid infused with metal particles that react in the presence of a magnetic field. It was invented in 1963 by NASA scientist Steve Papell as a potential liquid rocket fuel. The music were composted by Dr. Wayne Kirby, Ruth Paddison Distinguished Professor at UNC Asheville and Grammy award winning musician/inventor, Roy (Future Man) Wooten. Visual artist, Lei Han, Chair and Associate Professor of the New Media Department at UNC Asheville.
Lei Han
Lei is an artist, educator and designer. Her work, often inspired by nature and everyday life, explores notions of perception, memory, transience and time. Fascinated by the influences of eastern philosophy in western art, especially in modern and contemporary art, her recent work aims for creating the cohesion between spirituality and creativity, as well as making new connections between the artist, viewer and object/subject. Lei’s current work in experimental video, animation, interactive art and installation, has been exhibited at galleries, museums, and film festivals nationally and internationally. Including Shenzhen & Hongkong Bi-City Biennial, China, the State Museum of Contemporary Art, Thessaloniki, Greece Biennale, D’CLINIC Studios, Zalaegerszeg, Hungary, cinema Cal Marçal de Llorenç del Penedès, Spain, Krannert Art Museum, Illinois, the Arts Center, St. Petersburg, Florida, The {Re}HAPPENING experimental art event, Black Mountain, NC, Asheville Fine Arts Theater, Asheville Museum and the North Carolina Visions program.
Lei received her BA from Shenzhen University in China and her MFA from Memphis College of Art in Memphis, Tennessee. She is currently an Associate Professor and Chair of the New Media department at the University of North Carolina at Asheville.
Wayne Kirby
Wayne's compositions and multimedia artworks have been performed and exhibited at Carnegie Recital Hall, Symphony Space (NYC), Museum of Modern Art PS1 (NYC), 80 Washington Square East Galleries, North Carolina Museum of Art, Walker Art Gallery, Spirit Square, International Electronic Music Plus Festivals, Cumberland Science Museum, Belcourt Theater, River Sculpture Festivals, and other venues.
He holds degrees in music from The Juilliard School and Yale University and received the Doctor of Arts degree in Studio and Environmental Art from New York University in 1981. He studied composition with Jacob Druckman, Krzysztof Penderecki and electronic music pioneer Bulent Arel.
Former professor of music and director of the NYU Music Technology Program, Kirby served as Music Department Chair of the University of North Carolina Asheville for nineteen years where he currently holds the title of Ruth Paddison Distinguished Professor.
Roy Wooten (Futureman)
Roy Wooten is a ground breaking drummer, inventor, musician, composer and five time Grammy Award winning musician known as "Future Man". Audiences became curious when "Futureman" first appeared in 1988 playing a "Drumitar" with Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. At the heart of Futureman's groundbreaking work with the "Drumitar" and all 5 of his Grammy winning recordings with the Flecktones is a unique finger technique which allows him to play drum set with his fingers instead of sticks.
The Drumiitar led Futureman to invent two new keyboards. This led him to compose original music for an original ballet, several large symphonic works, and a soundtrack for a screenplay celebrating the extraordinary life a musical Chevalier called the Black Mozart. "It's no accident" he says, " that the more I see how the piano is related to the drum set... the more I see how the drum set is related to the piano". Stay tuned for more clinics, performances workshops, books,videos and recordings from drums to symphonic works.
This program is free and open to the public because of the generous support of Denise Carbonell & Derek Dominy.
Linda and Ron Larsen also donated funds to help with technical equipment that made this program possible.