Noise Field #1 is James Clar's first solo exhibition in the Philippines and with Silverlens. His works explore the effects of media and technology in shaping our perception of culture, space, and reality. In this exhibition, he displays digitized daydreams made up of car doors with laser scanners repeating a vibrant pattern over it, an installation of a clear resin plane strewn with fruits and birds illuminated by the constant blinking of LED lights, and a light and liquid installation using laserscanners and monsoon rains to create a 2D plane of light. 

James Clar’s (b. 1979, USA) work is an analysis and observation on the affects of media and technology on our perception of culture, nationality, and identity. His interest is in new technology and production processes, using them as a medium, while analyzing and critiquing their modifying affects on human behavior.

Clar studied film as an undergraduate at New York University focusing on 3D Animation, then continued on to his Masters at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program. It was here that he moved away from screen-based work and started working directly with light, creating sculptural lighting pieces. By developing his own systems with which to manipulate light, he discovered he could create unique visual displays, as well as circumvent the limitations of screen-based work, namely resolution and two-dimensionality.

In 2007 James moved to Dubai and lived there till 2012. In the five years living there he became an active participant in the development of the arts and culture scene of the globalized city. While his early work dealt with analyzing how technology and media work, his experiences in the Middle East saw his focus shift to how technology and media affect. This included themes of nationalism, globalism, and popular culture in the age of mass information.

Since returning back to New York, James’ work further explored the conceptual and narrative potential of light and technology. These systems are integrated into our daily lives, altering the way we receive information and communicate. They inform our perception of reality, time, and space. Every system for communication enhances certain types of information while limiting and simplifying others. These modulated effects to our perception have become a thematic focus to his works and a way to experiment with narrative forms.

Clar was an artist in residence at Eyebeam Atelier in New York, Fabrica in Italy, and the FedEx Institute of Technology/Lantana Projects in Memphis. His artwork has been included in the Chanel Mobile Art exhibition (Tokyo), The New Museum of Contemporary Arts (New York), The Chelsea Art Museum (New York), The Somerset House (UK), Museum on Seam (Jerusalem), and Louis Vuitton Gallery (Hong Kong).

James Clar lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.