Owl Project make sculpture, music and sound art, notably the Log1K, Sound Lathe, and iLog.
Drawing on influences such as woodworking, hobby style electronics and open source software to create music-making machines, they take a craft-based approach to designing their own interfaces and objects. The result is a distinctive range of musical and sculptural instruments that critique human interaction with computer interfaces and our increasing appetite for new and often disposable technologies.
They have performed nationally and internationally, including Garage Festival (Stralsund, Germany), with Matmos (Scala, London, UK) Emergences Festival (Paris, France).
During 2005 they developed a work called Sound Lathe. First shown at the Gathering Moss exhibition at Q Arts (Derby, UK), Sound Lathe combines a traditional pole lathe with custom built software, lo-fi sensors and switches to generate electronic music and an unique wooden artefact at the end of each performance. The Sound Lathe has been performed at Cornerhouse (Manchester), Ultrasound Festival (Huddersfield UK), Homefires Festival (London) and as headline act at the Sonic Arts Network EXPO 2006 event in Manchester.
In 2007 Owl Project were commissioned by Lovebytes (Sheffield) to produce chair using the sound Lathe, with the renowned green woodworker Mike Abbott. The chair contains an embedded MP3 player that allows users to select from four audio tracks and listen to the sounds of its production. Sound Lathe was shortlisted & exhibited for the SHARE prize (Torino, IT) 2008.
The iLog series is a reflection on our relationship with consumer technology. The design of each iLog strongly echoes contemporary products such as iPods and advanced mobile phones. These extremely developed complex products, with their plastic techno-packaging, seem modern and beguiling, but also appear craft-less and encourage a disturbing disposability.
After launching the original iLog in 2005 a new range of iLogs were shown at Futuresonic (Manchester UK) 2006, and then at Digital Wellbeing Labs (London) and have been used in performances at "Musikprotokoll" (Graz AU), TEKS trondhiem Norway) & the Serpintine Gallery stage, London 2008. This year they have been awarded Arts Council funding to radically develop the iLog & m-Log technology. Working with artists, Leafcutter John, Kaffe Mathews , & Thor Magnusson (ixi software) they are exploring the roll of hand held devices in relation to live improvised performance and computer music. New iLog's will be developed specifically for each artist.
By choosing wood as the main material for the iLog, Owl Project have extracted modern design principles but deflected it back to a traditional sensibility. This immediately raises questions about modern desire for disposable technology and nostalgia surrounding traditional crafts.
Owl Project consists of Simon Blackmore and Antony Hall and Steve Symons. All 3 artists have wide ranging individual practices concerning art, science and technology. For more information on Owl Project and individual works please follow the following links:Owl Project http://owlproject.com
[email protected]
Simon Blackmore http://www.simonblackmore.net
Antony Hall http://www.antonyhall.net
Steve Symons http://www.muio.org
and the iLog signal poster......