Fulcrum Arts HQ
544 North Fair Oaks Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91103
Opening Reception
Saturday, August 2, 6–9 PM
Attuned to phenomena like the flow of water, the behavior of wildlife, and the humming of roadways, Ian Wellman’s Between the Noise explores the local ecologies and infrastructures of the Arroyo Seco passage in LA County. In collaboration with Trevor Baker, whose accompanying videos give visual context to the sounds gathered from the landscape, Wellman documents the resonances between human and more-than-human worlds along the seasonally active stream. Composed to bring recognition to our local ecologies, Between the Noise fashions a narrative of the water course’s progress as a living—and life-giving—entity, from chaparral to concrete channel.
A master of field recording, Wellman used specialized techniques to capture extra-subtle sonic events. A parabolic dish amplified bird and mammal vocalizations, hydrophones listened under water, and geophones detected movements in the ground. For this iteration of Between the Noise, state-of-the-art surround sound methods place the viewer and listener in an immersive audiovisual experience.
To coincide with Fulcrum Arts’ exhibition Between the Noise, artist Ian Wellman will lead two field recording workshops in August. Participants will explore select areas along the Arroyo Seco, collect sounds, share recording techniques, and discuss the sonic properties unique to the watershed.
Click here for more information about the workshops.
About Ian Wellman
Ian Wellman is a sound artist and composer based in Pasadena, CA. Informed by study of bioacoustics, his work uses field sound and tape-loop compositions to create introspective narratives that emphasize vibrational overlaps between natural and built environments.
Wellman’s recordings have been published by Room40, Ash International, Dragon’s Eye Recordings, Luminous Drift, and Industrial Coast. Wellman’s work has been mentioned in Bandcamp Daily, The Wire, A Closer Listen, and Foxy Digitalis. He has performed at 2220 Arts and Archives, The Broad, Zebulon, Human Resources, The Chapel (Seattle), and High Water Mark (Portland, OR). He has contributed to recordings from Deru and Xiu Xiu, and he is currently a resident DJ on dublab.
About Trevor Baker
Trevor Baker works with video, still photography, and noise. Much of their work uses outdated technology pushed to saturation with feedback loops, interference, and distortion. The desert, mountains, and forests of California, where Trevor often explores, inspire their work.
Baker’s work has been published by Eyemyth Records and is self-published on YouTube. They have performed at The Lash, Little Joy, 2220 Arts and Archives, and The Stud (San Francisco).
