Exhibition Launch - And sometimes it just comes out of nowhere
22 September - 22 September
26 September - 30 September
Venue: Saint Augustine's Old Schoolhouse, Palace Street, Derry, Derry, BT486PS
And sometimes it just comes out of nowhere is the end of residency exhibition by local artist James Cunningham. The exhibition emerged from a series of conversations with locally based members of the creative community which took place during the residency. The conversations were staged as discussion of the looming presence of Artificial Intelligence and its possible implications for the creative community. What began as a project exploring AI tools with the participants and creating new work with the latest versions, ended up in a complete reversal. Instead of creating instantly generated digital imagery and sounds, Cunningham made a decision to explore the opposite direction – traditionally recorded voices and hand painted images – a foi
And sometimes it just comes out of nowhere emerged from a series of conversations with locally based members of the creative community which took place during the residency. The conversations were staged as discussion of the looming presence of Artificial Intelligence and its possible implications for the creative community. What began as a project exploring AI tools with the participants and creating new work with the latest versions, ended up in a complete reversal. Instead of creating instantly generated digital imagery and sounds, Cunningham made a decision to explore the opposite direction – traditionally recorded voices and hand painted images – a foil to the algorithm.
Reflecting the space the Residency offers – recordings were made using the natural reverb of the room, with the abundant ambient light from the hall's many windows used for creating the imagery. The slow process of layered Oil painting, a new medium for Cunningham, was a challenging one. The ensuing series of sequenced, unfiltered voices and oil paintings of the people from which the voices emerged – offers a counterpoint to the transient and disposable nature of digital imagery. The resulting work aims to remind us of the value of patience, skill, and dedication in the creative process – and provide an empathetic connection to the participants and viewer.
James Cunningham is an artist who usually works with photography and audio. He has a background in Music, touring and recording in bands from the 1990's to the present day, and has been working in visual Design since the early 2000's. He has been working on photography, audio and video projects individually and in collaboration since 2010. Sound and Photography influences his work in the ways in which he explores his environment and how this can be simplified and reduced to its essential elements: Audio to create a sense of place or atmosphere, and photography to capture moments in time. He believes that the combination of these two mediums can create a powerful and sensory experience for the viewer. The residency has afforded him the opportunity to introduce painting into his work.
James would like to thank the following people who were featured in this work: Paul McCartney, Hannah Richardson, Declan McLaughlin, Sianna Ní Laithbheartaigh, Stephen Mc Cool, Abby Olivera, Chris McConaghey, Eileen Webster, Stephen McCauley.
The Art Arcadia Residency Programme is funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Derry City & Strabane District Council