Tim Nohe @ Clemson

As with all Visual Arts departments in universities, the one in Clemson has a visiting artist lecture series I like to attend whenever possible.  Regardless of whether I like what I might see in these, seeing what other artists do and listening to them speak about their  practice is always thought provoking.

Yesterday I was able to attend Tim Nohe’s lecture about his work.  It was stimulating and punctuated by moments of beauty.   Nohe is an image and sound artist, with sound playing a, if not the, major role in his work. The lecture consisted of video snippets of some of his pieces, as well as, of him in the process of producing his work.  All of these, without exception, were accompanied by the sound tracks that are so important to his practice.

Imagine my surprise then when, as I listened and watched in semi-darkness, I noticed a woman standing to one side, signing to what obviously was a deaf student sitting in the audience.  I was reminded of one of the things I do love about America; the fact that disabled persons have rights, and that they are not institutionally invisible as  happens in so many countries.  That being said, I had to smile at the irony of having a deaf person come see a lecture by a man whose primary medium seems to be sound.  And I wondered how one signed the wonks, wheees, shhhhhhs, buzzes, wouuaaas, tenk tenk tenks, and whirs I was hearing...