Asia Art Center is pleased to present London-based artist Andrew Pierre Hart’s new body of work which reiterates the artist’s interdisciplinary practice and strong interests in the symbiotic relationship between painting and sound.
Through the motion of cross-modality, reconstructing languages and the generation of ideas, Hart’s creative methods are heavily based on improvisation and collective memory, as well as rhythmic and spatial expressions which are highly experimental and spontaneous. Using the canvas as the skin of the drums, the painted surface creates a visual image that also carries sounds of experimentation fusion.
The title The Invention of a Graphic Score refers to the five-part polyptych which features three inspirational figures in the history of technological advancement on a global scale. Electrical engineer and computer graphics designer Marc Hannah is depicted as a seated figure observing the inventive creation in his hand. Hannah co-founded Silicon Graphics, Inc., whose programmes were used to create special effects in blockbuster films, whist the company’s technologies were also applied in engineering, research and for military applications. The pioneering engineer and physician Mae C Jemison became the first African-American woman to travel in space when she served as a mission specialist aboard the Endeavour in 1992. The former NASA astronaut appears to be floating in the air in a vibrant red dress, as if free from earthly gravity; meanwhile, Shirley Prendergast, the first African-American woman to have been admitted to the United Scenic Artists lighting division in 1969, and in 1973, became the first black woman to have been appointed as a lighting designer on Broadway with Joseph Walker’s The River Niger, is shown in action conducting a lighting experiment.
Hart’s canvases carry a strong sense of narrative through the theatrical presentation of his compositions, which can be traced to his early exploration with experimental theatre, especially with the Matchstick Theatre Company. His interests in stage-props and the making of improvised and spontaneous responses with found objects can also be linked to the development of modern and contemporary western art, where readymades are interpreted in unconventional and unorthodox manners. Furthermore, his approach to his sound paintings resonate with German theatre practitioner, playwright and poet Bertolt Brecht’s avant-garde approaches to theatrical performances, where the actors break the fourth wall to reflect on reality. The exhibition ends with a series of five canvases each featuring a performer in action. Despite the seemingly individual depiction of the figures, they form a relationship in the manner of the conversation pieces popular in seventeenth and eighteenth century Europe.
Instead of hiding away in the orchestral pit, the five performers enjoy taking centre stage with their choice of musical instruments. The painting Lao Shi Yehu depicts a musician performing on the yehu, found in Taiwan, southern provinces of China, and parts of South East Asia. Originally from the better-known erhu family, yehu is made of coconuts, wood and seashells, instead of a resonator body made of wood and covered in python skin as commonly seen in erhu. The sourcing from local materials and the adaptation to a different environment can also be seen as a form of improvisation and sustainability, which resonate with Hart’s approaches to the arts.
This exhibition sees the collaboration of artist Andrew Pierre Hart and Taiwanese composer Sherwin Yang, creating compositions exclusively for the show by combining musical elements from western and Asian cultures, which indicates the artist’s passions for visual language, sound, and experimental exchanges among different fields. The application of traditional Chinese and Taiwanese stringed instruments, percussion, and wind instruments from the beiguan family emphasize the artist and the composer’s appreciation for Taiwanese Opera, which is unique to the region. With Taiwanese music as the centre of inspiration, the composer also introduces musical elements from Japan, Mongolia and other parts of Asia to create depth and complexity. Yang’s three compositions feature musical materials contributed by the artist, who is also an experienced performer known for his unrehearsed, spontaneous and impromptu sound creations. The audience is invited to sit on custom made seating designed by the artist and take the time to immerse themselves in the music whilst appreciating the powers of the painted canvases and the sounds specifically created for them.
Born in London, Andrew Pierre Hart graduated from the Royal College of Art with a MA in Painting (2019) and holds a BA in Fine Art from Chelsea College of Arts (2017). He is also an Associate Lecturer at Royal College of Art and University of the Arts London. His recent exhibitions include Birdsong, Timothy Taylor Gallery, London (2023); The Listening Sweet – 3- Lagos, Tiwani Contemporary, Lagos (2023); Upstairs Cities, ASE Shanghai, Shanghai (2023); Narrative Minds, Asia Art Center, Taipei (2022); Secret of Lightness, Parafin, London (2022); ICF’s Diaspora Pavilion 2: London, Block 336, London (2022); a solo presentation with Tiwani Contemporary in Frieze London, London (2021) and Mixing it Up: Painting Toady, Hayward Gallery, London (2021). He was invited to participate in an “Art Chat” at Tate Modern Lates for the ongoing exhibition Hilma af Klint & Piet Mondrian: Forms of Life in April 2023 and will release a new commission by Whitechapel Gallery in 2024. The Invention of a Graphic Score is Andrew Pierre Hart’s first solo exhibition in Asia.
