Jim Campbell: Material Light

In the US Campbell is counted amongst the most innovative and ground breaking artists in the beginning of the 21st century. With the exception of a few group shows Campbell has never previously exhibited in Europe.

The exhibition at The National Museum of Photography, which will subsequently be shown in Vancouver, is thus the first big presentation of this unique artist in Denmark. The exhibition is produced in close collaboration with the artist and his gallery Bryce Wolkowitz in New York.

Although Campbell’s works are technologically founded, it is not in the electronics that one finds the essence of his works. Campbell manipulates and transforms information technology and LED lights into what may be described as visual haiku poems of the information age.

In his photo and video based works he is on the one hand exploring the movement of human beings in space and on the other, the human perception of this movement. In some of his earlier works this exploration has taken the form of interactive works where the spectator’s presence influences the moving images.

In his newer works which are represented in this exhibition the fascination of movement persists in the works’ image content, but at the same time he explores the boundary of vision by working consistently with low resolution.

On Campbells low resolution LED-based screens reality sometimes becomes illegible to the eye, but at the same time strangely recognizable to the brain, almost as if they were memories from the future.

Campbell’s innovative techniques transform the transience of the media surrounding us - as well as our relationship to this media.

From the exhibition:

Jim Campbell: Reconstruction 1, 2002.
27 x 36 x 8 cm. Custom electronics, 192 LED’er, resin.
Poto: Sarah Christianson
 

Jim Campbell: Fundamental Interval Commuters, 2010.
85 x 110 x 7 cm. Custom elektronics, 1728 LED’er, Duratrans-print, treated Plexiglass.
Photo: Sarah Christianson  

Jim Campbell: Church on Fifth Avenue, 2001.
72 x 33 x 17 cm. Custom electronics, 768 LED’er, treated plexiglass.
Photo: Sarah Christianson