Andrew Rowe

I make sound and video work which explore different methods of sound creation and employment. These works are time based but also sculptural and two dimensional.

I initially created the sounds required for my works with analogue equipment and instruments. As my practice has developed I have increasingly used computer technology as an art material, including microprocessors and sensors to promote interactivity. I believe that using interactivity within a gallery setting leaves a greater lasting impression of the artwork upon the audience. Some of my recent work is derived from the analogue realm and is sculptural and interactive and exploits apparent 'failures' in analogue technology to develop its sonic aspect.

I believe that sound based artworks can suffer in a gallery setting if the artwork does not have a visual accompaniment to the sound or if the sounds produced are not effectively segregated and controlled. By making installations that are silent until the audience interact with them I address these issues.

My work is playful and often humorous and in particular I can refer to an aspect of my work which is inspired by humorous situations that have occurred in my everyday life. I have created a series of video pieces which use personal recordings of conversations on the subject of religion as their raw material. These have developed into an investigation and celebration of the differences that exist between people. This area of my work is an ongoing project.

I am interested in archaic items of sound and music creation and an area of my practice that I find particularly intriguing is using these items and the sounds they produce to inform my work, in both a physical and aural context. The use of analogue equipment to produce sound is an idea that is referenced in the paintings that I produce, with the methods employed to create the artwork and with the subject matter. It is my belief that by drawing inspiration from these historical sound items and referring to them to produce new work I am therefore retaining their history, presenting them in new and interesting ways and taking them forward into the future.