

The idea of making something by taking away as much as you can, instead of adding as much as you can. He was a fabulous painter, an amazing painter, and, I must say, a big influence. There was something about the piece that really reminded me of the Rothko Chapel. Of course, you can’t make something that is always breathtaking, or you would never be able to breathe. I want to make something that is breathtaking. When I make these pieces I’m just interested in gorgeousness. Where you come in and find yourself saying, ‘Oh I’ll stay a bit longer.’ ‘I can stay a bit longer,’ ‘oh I’ll stay.’ I just wanted something that would keep you still for quite a long time. I wanted to make something that was so seductive that you couldn’t leave. So you wanted an immersive experience for the viewer? Suddenly, you become kind of open - even vulnerable to things that you might not have been noticing. I think a place where you can switch your tension to a different setting, to remove yourself from: Is that a car coming? Is someone going to bump into me? Switching off that sort of constant worrying liberates your mind. Nothing is going to jump out and startle you. It’s going to carry on like that for as long as you stay there. you realize that nothing else is going to happen. I really liked the idea of someone walking in from a New York City street into this completely calm place where there will not be any surprises. What did you want people to feel?Įxactly that. I saw your “77 Million Paintings” - it was a very Alice in Wonderland-like feel to walk in off a dismal NYC street into your exhibit. We spoke with the pioneering musician and artist about his work, the restorative power of art and music and why he hates the word “vision”: The work is a meditation on stillness, that challenges city-dwelling audiences to abandon their schedules and immerse themselves in a different, more peaceful world.
Brian eno 77 million paintings software#
Every few minutes, specially designed software randomly selects those drawings, layering them in new combinations to create entirely new works of art - hence the title “77 Million Paintings.” Eno designed the slow pace of the self-generating work and outfitted the space with couches so his audience could sit and contemplate the gradually changing work, while listening to the ambient soundscape he composed to accompany the piece. The focal point of the work, which made its East Coast debut in New York City this past weekend, is an ever-changing light painting made up of Eno’s many drawings. His latest piece, an audio-video installation as part of the Red Bull Music Academy called “77 Million Paintings,” represents more than 30 years of work – and it’s not done yet. It has an immersive effect that is akin to music.įor more information on Brian Eno and 77 Million Paintings please refer to the Fabrica archive.Follow Eno may be many things-musician, composer, producer, artist -but he is not impatient. The piece merges hand painted slides, slowly fading in and out of one another, to create nearly infinite combinations. The culmination of this trajectory can be seen in 77 Million Paintings. His practice developed to co-opt both audio and visuals juxtaposed in installations. Alongside this he worked on albums with David Bowie, new wave bands such as Talking Heads and Devo, and then in the 1990s U2.Įno returned to a visual art practice in the 80s when he was given a video camera. This took the form of many solo and collaborative projects and the creation of a record label called Obscure records.
Brian eno 77 million paintings free#
After his departure, Eno was free to pursue more experimental approaches to music and sound.

After much make-up wearing and two albums, he fell out with Brian Ferry and left the band. Eventually music took the forefront and for the time being, he left behind fine art to pursue his musical career.Įno is probably best known for his glam rock days in Roxy Music. At art school he was influenced by minimal painting, which is somewhat evident in 77 Million Paintings, he also began making music and playing in bands. He began studying Fine Art at Ipswich, then at Winchester art school where he achieved a diploma. This position can be traced through the evolution of his career.īrian Eno was born in Woodbridge in Suffolk. It illustrates Eno’s interest in combining the visual and sound. This mesmerising projection of light is accompanied by a ubiquitous ambient soundscape. The effect created is like a kaleidoscopic stained glass window. The installation consists of a collage of overlapping slides on high definition video screens. During this period Fabrica hosted his 77 Million Paintings installation. Musician and artist, Brian Eno, curated Brighton Festival 2010. With Brighton Festival on the horizon, and Fabrica’s coinciding exhibition only ten days away from opening its doors, it is an ideal opportunity to reflect on last year’s exhibition and the work of the artist.
