Joe Stevens (UK)

Joe Stevens
http://51degreesnorth.net/joe
Participant in
SoundLAB VI – sonic art project environments
soundPOOL – a challenge for imagination

SIP – SoundLAB Interview

I am an artist working with field recordings and piezoelectric microphones. My interest in sound is in field recordings, along with sounds we can’t hear ourselves.

The sounds that surround us, not sounds we wish we made, not sounds we hope we make, but the sounds we actually make. All those unintentional sounds, which are horrendous and they tell us a lot about ourselves. You hardly ever hear people in the towns or hear the sounds of the countryside nowadays, the sounds of the motorcar, or electricity and our electronic products that drown out everything.

I am interested in landscape and “sense of place”. My work aims to sum up the essence of a place. Along with sound I work with animations, video and photograph. I also enjoy engaging with the community, working with them alongside creating my own artworks.

I exhibited sound installation “with the window wide open” at countertext November 2008, amongst a collection of transmedia installations and events to complement the Bridport literary festival08. In December I showed another sound piece ‘No Public Access”, along with a new video work.

A commission to create a giant artwork, on the hoarding of BBC Media Village. This work involves a website (www.greatwhitecity.com) and a 30meter banner around the BBC.

A commission to engage with young people in Lyme Regis, Sherborne, Bridport, Dorchester, and Beaminster to create a ‘Capturing Local Character’ DVD.

Another showing (January – March 2008) of the photographic exhibition of my work, showing work from the commission from Poole Arts Development to capture the ordinary and the everyday in Old Town Poole.

Pavilion film shown at Exeter Phoenix 26th March 2008. The film was shown as part of Community Equality Disability Action event at Exeter Phoenix. Nominated for BBC Big Screen Awards for this film.