A free new major debut solo show where creativity collides with a unique take on theoretical, neurological, anatomical, installation and live multimedia art processes across one week 21st – 27th March at east end space LondoNewcastle.
Following on from his recent FACE MUSIC Organic Electronic UK tour, multi faceted visual and sonic artist, Reeps One AKA Harry Yeff presents his unique mixed media art at his first major solo exhibition A.D.O at east end gallery space LondoNewcastle from 20th – 27th March. The exhibition will showcase his theoretical, neurological and anatomical approach to his art and will engage viewers in a multi-sensory series of installations and special live shows throughout the residency.
At a young age Yeff was dianosed with Attention Deficit Disorder and Dyslexia but by the time he was 14 he was told he did not have either. For Yeff the ambiguity of these labels and his diagnosis indicate how much individuals mental processes can differ and not be labeled. Yeff feels most peaceful when ‘doing’; the show will exhibit how Yeff’s need for constant stimulation has fuelled his career. Visitors will get an idea of what its like to see through Yeff’s busy mind, he will aim to overwhelm with fun and beautiful stimulation.
The title ADO is a play on ADD – Replacing the ‘Disorder’ with ‘Order’ as this process has had a prime roll in the order of Harry Yeff. There will be four aspects to the exhibition: visual art; sonic / musical performance; the union of audio and visual; and theoretical, neurological and anatomical insights in to how Yeff does what he does.
Painting and drawing from a young age Harry was an early starter in the world of live art, over the last few years he has represented England a number of times at the high pressure, international art battles known as Secret Wars. He has also drawn at Milan Design Week, Designers Bloc and worked with Reebok at Bread and Butter Barcelona and a host of other brands including Bulmers, DC Shoes, THTC Clothing and Pantone. His bold, unpredictable style and concepts have created a strong and loyal following. From clean graphic work, expressive, large-scale fantastical doodles and designing his own unique audio visualizer using nothing but vibration and colour, the artistic world has just begun to be conquered.
Reeps is a walking acoustic instrument, a human that speaks electronic music that can stand up to the highest energy DJs in the world with his own hour-long solo set. In 2013 Yeff has graced the stages of a huge number of festivals including Secret Garden Party, Bestival, Boomtown, Reading and Leeds. He has also complete his first run at Edinburgh Fringe, sold out London’s Royal Albert Hall Elgar Rooms and recently collaborated with the likes of Mike Patton (Faith No More), Rizzle Kicks, and Foreign Beggars.
He was handpicked to participate in ‘Africa Express’, alongside Damon Albarn, Dead Prez and John Paul Jones of Led Zepplin and recently described by the NME as “Vocal percussion on another level and a step up from the been-there-done-that traditional beatboxing”. He won the UK Beatbox Championships twice in a row, before stepping down from competition. Yeff combines his passion for visual arts with his music to produce a truly organic AV show using the science of cymatics, controlled by his voice. Audiences have been awed by this unique interpretation of sound.
Yeff draws like he composes. Complex, detailed, intricately drawn compositions emerge as the artist focuses on the visual field. As the drawings develop Yeff takes the viewers eyes across the page, (or glass, wall, furniture, person) he is drawing on; similar to how the listener at his live beatbox shows are taken through a beautifully composed network of sounds. The pace within each drawing changes and each one has many rhythms; loud simple pen marks are next to finer meticulous lines, bold colours clash and surround the details.
The energy Yeff puts into the performanace of drawing remains within the finished piece; with overwhelming detail and an extensive vocabulary of mark making, the drawings are complex compositions. From highly intricate huge illustrations to tiny absurd doodles, Yeff’s delightfully dark imagination has gathered a strong following.
VISUAL
With a floor to ceiling hang, bold black and white drawings overwhelming with details will contrast with super bold simpler stylised pieces. The show will include Yeff’s ‘pillar drawings’ where he stacks a sketchbook’s worth of work onto one drawing, telling 50 stories on one page. Live performance drawings will be done on the walls, furniture and objects. Drawing and painterly images on glass will expand upon the traditional pictoral plain as Yeff works on both the ‘front’ and the ‘back’ of some pieces. Drawings done on top of the photographs of Ben Hopper will be shown, with Yeff doing live drawings on selected visitors. This room will be used as a stage for live sound performances and collaborations with other musicians, artists and poets; the drawings becoming a kind of stage set, influencing the shape the live shows take and the audiences perception of it.
AUDIO – SONIC / MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
Audio performances within the exhibition will show an insight into Yeff’s procesess and creativity, which will include live Face Music collaborations and dance performances that will explore and push the boundaries of his vocal range. A feature audio showcase of his favourite sounds will acoustically direct visitors to the art of the sound focusing on how each sound he has designed is the product of hundreds of hours of work.
AUDIO / VISUAL
Yeff, Linden Jay and Zach Walker use the Cymatic principle – using vibration as an organisational force – to create an audio-visual installation and live performance. With two interchangeable drivers they add different forms of liquid and powder into a container, which is then placed on the vibrating drivers. The vibrations from Yeff’s vocal move the con¬tents in the containers into strangely organised forms, which look like computer generated graphics. A camera is set up to record the moving patterns, the visuals are projects live with the vocal performance. A film installation within the exhibition will show the Cymatic audio visual performances, both live and from recordingg. The visuals will project onto the walls and floor, the visitor will be able to walk into the visible patterns of the sound and vibration of Yeff’s vocals; the projected light patterns will surround and cover them, appearing on their skin, hair and clothes. Alongside this, large-scale photographs of the cymatic patterns will be displayed allowing for longer more detailed inspection.
THEORETICAL / NEUROLOGICAL / ANATOMICAL
Yeff’s work has lead him to explore the science of sound and vision. He will exhibit his insights through the artwork and will explore further through a series of talks featuring:
– Dr Sophie Scott from UCL scanned Yeff’s brain, she will discuss Yeff’s brain scan and how human brains change, as they become expert in something.
– Yeff will discuss how he uses Ableton Live to produce his live shows
– Beatbox notation, Yeff will show and describe how he writes his beatbox scores
Mental health is still a very misty world of diagnosis and in many cases people are requested to take steps to adjust how they think to fit within the expectations of the common goal, but where do you draw the line? What is correct? And how does one express the differences in someone labeled as ‘different’? Diagnoses in school can create many different results from peace of mind to negative perception of one’s self. ‘Your process is not correct therefor you are not correct’ – The Interactive performance, music and huge hand crafted work in this exhibition will highlight this sensitive issue and celebrate the advantages it can posses.
With special feature installations, films and performances throughout the week, such as ‘Circle Of Naked’, ‘The Room’, ‘Day Of Games’ and ‘Open Your Mind’ A . D . O is a unique exhibition offering an important insight in the realms where creativity and mental awareness collide.
