SWEATSHOPPE-Whip It from SWEATSHOPPE on Vimeo.
Visuals and audio frequently cohabitate, but assembling truly integrated audiovisual artistry remains a nascent field. When done right, it’s terribly satisfying.
We saw SWEATSHOPPE’s Blake Shaw and Bruno Levy painting “graffiti” with video projection last year. They’ve been doing some other fantastic work since.
At top, Whip It is a music video made from audiovisual collage of balloon sounds. The balloon artist is Brian Harger, with SWEATSHOPPE producing the video.
Ouroboros: The History of the Universe from SWEATSHOPPE on Vimeo.
In collaboration with video artist Ali Hossaini, the West Virginia-born filmmaker, Robert Wilson collaborator, and producer, “Ouroboros: The History of the Universe” is an exhibition of immersive 3D video. It places SWEATSHOPPE’s insanely hypnotic, acid-colored geometric visuals into 3D. In a nice coupling of art installation with live visuals, the duo have also presented the materials as live audiovisual performance (also in 3D), at venues like New York’s White Box Gallery and Le Poisson Rouge. The live sets feature tightly choreographed, integrated sound and imagery. Oh yeah, and the two get to put on fish heads and hang with Isabella Rossellini. (I’m not normally starstruck, but she lands squarely in the “freakishly awesome” category, if you’ve seen her short film work lately.)
SWEATSHOPPE 3D @ White Box Gallery NYC from SWEATSHOPPE on Vimeo.
SWEATSHOPPE 3D at Le Poisson Rouge NYC from SWEATSHOPPE on Vimeo.
Guys, I do hope to catch up with you soon.
As always, dear readers, if there’s work out there you’re doing or that you’ve seen that we’re missing, get in touch.