Bianca Coleman
Cape Town - Now and then, when I can get my head around all the confusing and intimidating language, I succumb to attending an art exhibition.
The invitation to The Power Of Sound piqued my interest because it promised the photographs by Jordan-Lee Garbutt would be complemented with a narrative by poet Mo Libretto.
Thus armed with this scant information, off we went to Garbutt’s studio in Woodstock, Cape Town, to see what it was all about. Luckily we were introduced to Mo himself, who explained how Garbutt had put different paints on to speakers, played a variety of frequencies to make said paint jump and leap about, and photographed the results. That’s an uncomplicated description. Even I could understand the potential for infinite possibilities. “Yes! Universal variability!”said Libretto, delighted I had grasped it.
In the words of the press release: “Emphasising universal individuality, The Power of Sound photographed by Jordan-Lee Garbutt aims to visually manifest a consciously liberating idea. Through the manipulation of sound frequencies, the displacement of effervescent paints, and Garbutt’s use of contrast and colour gradients; the subjects in his artwork organically transverse from sound waves into a visual cacophony imprinted upon metal.”
I have as much admiration for the person who wrote hundreds of words about the exhibition and the concept as I do for Garbutt and Libretto.
A long and meticulous process involving much tweaking of controllable variables while ultimately it was the universe that decided the outcome and thousands of photographs, deciding what made it to the exhibition could not have been an easy task. My simple take on it is that the photographs are quite beautiful and striking, especially the one titled Mother, which was portrayed on my invitation so I feel something of a personal affinity with it.
“My mantra is to change the consciousness of the world by opening people up to new experiences and emotions that affect their outlooks in positive ways,” says Garbutt. That too I can understand, and I believe it worked for me.
l The Power Of Sound will be exhibited until July 30 at The Balcony, 157 Victoria Road, Woodstock. See www.jordanleegarbutt.com
Weekend Argus