Olsen Gruin announces Wall of Sound, an exhibition featuring music-inspired multimedia works by Kevin Bourgeois. The anticipated show comprises a curated selection of collage and acrylic compositions on wood panel.
Music has always been an intrinsic element in Bourgeois’ creative process and daily routine. “I consider it a universal cultural language with many diverse incarnations and forms,” he affirms. Wall of Sound turns its focus toward the visual art that complements the vast lexicon of music.
The phrase “Wall of Sound” was originally devised to describe Phil Spector’s production methods. According to Spector, the aim was “to create a dense aesthetic critical shorthand, mixed well enough that the audience would then perceive each of the different combinations as one distinct sound or form.” This concept mirrors the augmenting process Bourgeois implemented in creating this body of work.
Through collage Bourgeois seeks to transform the literal imagery of each album’s formal narrative. His process of embellishment and jigsaw remixing of multiple record jacket sources results in an alternative visual dialogue and imbues an abstracted or figurative aesthetic to be interpreted by the viewer.
