Liam Wells

Liam is Course Leader on BA (Hons) Film and Moving Image Production and MA Moving Image and Sound Unit Tutor.

My practice-based research aims to investigate hybrid processes of identifying non-linear modes of time/ event(s), drawing upon models from different disciplines to explore contemporary understandings of hybrid long durational audio-visual works within site-specific contexts. The research focuses on non-linear relationships between space (both physical and virtual) and temporal events within audio-visual works of a (perceived) long or open duration. A series of audio-visual installations, performances and webcasts/ transmissions will be created to investigate non-linear relationships between sound and image, rather than the linear relationships implied by long duration. These works explore the time/ duration in onscreen/ off-screen, virtual and sonic spatial contexts. The research questions aesthetic and philosophical strategies employed in contemporary audio-visual practices including: repetition/ difference, simplicity into complexity, accumulation of event, interruption, instability and indeterminacy.

Research Outputs

• November 2011: Art, Design, Media Creative Learning and Teaching Day: Research Presentation, Ravensbourne
• June 2011: NAHEMI Annual Conference, BFI Southbank: Research Presentation
• May 2011: Shaping Things to Come: Research Presentation, ADM National Conference, RIBA, London
• September 2010: Ongoing PhD By Practice – University of the Arts London (Scholarship)
• Selected Artist: One Minutes Vol 4. Selected fllm for artists moving image programme. Film screened in Sydney, London, Sheffield, Liverpool, Manchester, Berlin, Ruhr, and nationally within UK via the BBC Big Screen. For full info visit http://www.kerrybaldry.moonfruit.com/#/one-minute/4540180591
• CityOneMinutes: Shanghai, Jan 2010 ->, Installation of Greenwich Power Station, World Expo City Culture Pavillion, Shanghai, China
• CityOneMinutes:London – Screening of Greenwich Power Station, 11th December 2009, Candid Arts Underground Gallery, London
• 5 November 2009: AURORA Festival, Audio/ Visual Performance
• 20 October 2009: National School’s Film Week – Seminar: Michael Haneke’s Hidden Narratives, Odeon Cinema, Norwich & Online
• 19 August: noise=noise – The Basement Series, Foundary, Shoreditch, London. Audio/ Visual Performance. review online @ http://www.furthernoise.org/index.php?url=page.php&ID=308&iss=82
• July 2009 (production): One Minute Film Foundation, Commissioned to produce 1 minute film for OMFF – Greenwich Power Station – to represent London in show in Shanghai, 2010
• 14 March 2009: Re- Chord Air, Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich. Audio/ Visual Peformance
• 21 January 2009: :::noise=noise::: presents MindBodyBrain, Great Hall, Richard Hoggart Building, Goldsmiths University, New Cross, London. Audio/ Visual Peformance
• April 2008: EPIC Studios, Norwich/ City Gallery, Siauliai, Lithuania – Performance and production of live collaborative audio/ visual webcast
• February 2008: Fylkingen, Stockholm, Sweden, Audio Visual Performance
• 2007: AURORA Festival, October – Premiere of collaborative audio/ visual performance ‘Dream Machine’ with Prof John Bowers
• April 2007: Research Seminar – Visual Music: A History of Synaesthetics & Technology. Delivered in UEA – Music Department as part of undergraduate lecture series
• March 2007: Research Seminar – Digital Culture & the Multiple. Delivered in NSAD MA Fine Art Lecture series
• March 2007: Digital Shorts– “Mummy & Baddy”, (Dir. Jon Dunleavy). Freelance colourist for short animated 3D film, funded by Screen East
• March 2007: Enter Digital Arts Commission (2), Junction Cambridge. Commission to perform the composition “3 Bowed Gongs” in collaboration with Alex Sanders
• March 2007: Enter Digital Arts Commission (1), Junction Cambridge. Commission to make electronic sound installation to be installed in above venue. Gongs (1-3) installed March 5th – April 1st 2007
• February 2007: Nothing to Watch (Outpost Gallery, Norwich). Performance of new composition “3 Bowed Gongs” in collaboration with Alex Sanders
• December 2006: Research Seminar – Towards an Anti/ Non-Linear Narrative in Real-time Audio/ Visual Composition. Delivered in UEA MA Composition Lecture series
• October 2006 – Ongoing: Furtherfield.org (http gallery, London) Online Reviewer. Invited to act as guest reviewer for online net-art/ new media gallery located in UK. http://www.furtherfield.org
• June 2006: Faster Than Sound (Aldeburgh Festival, Bentwaters Airbase). Two Sound Performances as part of UEA Electro Acoustic Studio Ensemble
• June 2006: Murmurations (Aldeburgh Festival, Aldeburgh Cinema). Performance as part of analogue synthesis quartet during the Aldeburgh Festival, re-imagining early electronic instruments & composition in a contemporary, improvised context. The improvised performance utilised the 1969 film “ Beyond Image” (Mark Boyle/ Sensual Laboratory) as a visual score
• June 2006: Stop Right There (Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts). Audio Visual Performance & Video screening
• November 2005: Nothing To Watch (Outpost Gallery, Norwich). Performed new audiovisual work (SynThromy) based upon the transformation of the material of Norman Mclaren’s film Syncromy into audio signal to drive the audio synthesis engine of a self-written software program
• 2005: VAIA 2005, IV, IV International Video Art Show of Alcoi, Valencia, Spain. Selected Artist Web Archive – ‘four audiovisual improvisations’ http://www.videoraum.net
• October 2005: Circuits of Malpractice (UEA Concert Hall). Performed 2 new works as part of audiovisual ensemble. One composition/ improvisation, ‘Feathers’, using self-written video to sound synthesis software. Second video performance using the no-input (feedback) video mixer as part of the Virtual/ Physical Feedback Orchestra.
• May 2005: Encompass Festival. (Vibe Bar, Brick Lane, London). n0media/ ARIaDA performance showcasing 4 audio/ visual collaborations as part of the encompass festival digital room
• February 2005: Soil-net.com. Part of consortium of academic partners engaged in the production of soil-net.com, a DEFRA funded research project to produce a high impact, multimedia rich e-learning portal for National Curriculum in collaboration with NSRI (National Soil Research Institute), Cranfield University.
• February 2005: Distributed Improvisation (UEA Music Studios, Concert Room). Devised, curated & performed 4 networked improvised audio/ visual pieces as part of NSAD research funded activity. (Funded by Arts Council East & Norwich School of Art & Design Research Award, Supported by UEA)
• 2005: Networked Audio/ Visual Environment Consultant (EAST 2005). Responsible for research, development & production of an audio/ visual network for EAST exhibition, also includes liaison with artists, designing & installing http, ftp, blog & rtsp servers, web-design & on-demand audio &video & live webcast services & training for staff.
• January 2005: sound~digout (Dublin Institute of Technology). 8 audio/ visual performances/ improvisations at conference based within DIT, Ireland. Presentation of current artistic practice & research work in Undergraduate Seminar
• July 2004: Decentred (Norwich Arts Centre). Curated, designed & performed within 2 specially commissioned intermedia events within the above venue. An online discussion of the decentred concept also took place on the 22nd July. Archives online. (Funded by Norwich Arts Centre, Arts Council)
• June 2004: Sonic Arts Network Annual Conference (Sound Circus, Leicester). Improvised audio/ visual performance
• March – April 2004: Decentred (Norwich Gallery). Exhibition/ audio/ visual performance / installation & webcasts in collaboration with 30+ international artists. Archives online (Funded by Norwich Gallery, Arts Council East & Norwich School of Art & Design Research Award)
• June 2003 -November 2005: WebJam 01 – 09 (Various Venues – Internationally). Curated, produced & performed 9 live webcasts of artist audio / visual collaborations. (Funded by i10 Enterprise Fellowship Award, Arts Council East & Norwich School of Art & Design)
• Cluster 2001 (Norwich Arts Centre). December 2001. Participant video performer/web streaming technical in collaborative dance/technology performance. http://www.futurephysical.org
• July – August 2001: Cellbytes 2001 (RESCEN, Middlesex University). Participant video artist – collaborative dance/ technology performance. http://www.mdx.ac.uk/rescen/cellbytes01/introcell.html