A Sense of Newness: Christopher Scoates talks about UAM's exhibition of Brian Eno's 77 Million Paintings

Christopher Scoates, Director of the University Art Museum at California State University, Long Beach, has worked diligently during his four and a half years there to present works and artists that reflect a kind of modernity not often seen in established art exhibition spaces. Works that blend technology, interactivity, and narrative are often featured. In this audio interview, Scoates talks about the exhibition of Brian Eno's 77 Million Paintings, which includes a series of prints, and real time displays of new works being created. He speaks about the process which led to this show, and the other events surrounding it, including a Circuit Bending workshop and concert, a panel discussion featuring a number of forward thinking artists, the Slow Sound Festival, SoundWalk, and Eno’s only public appearance in the United States this year, at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center. A few words about Brian Eno, for those unfamiliar with his work: It is almost impossible to conceive of modern music without Eno. He has worked in collaboration with innumerable music artists: Roxy Music, Devo, U2, Coldplay, David Bowie, The Talking Heads, Peter Gabrial, Paul Simon, Robert Fripp, John Cale, Ultravox, James, Geoffrey Oryema, Elvis Costello, Laurie Anderson. The list (he has 6 pages of credits on AllMusic.com) goes on and on. These working relationships weren’t casual, either. More often than not, Eno's participation led directly to a huge growth in artists' popularity and creativity. He's also released more than 30 genre defining solo albums, and almost single-handedly forged a new genre known as 'ambient.' Eno has also worked in the visual arts, creating early and award winning music videos for the Talking Heads, and a variety of mixed media installation works. He's been a significant participant in the Clock of the Long Now project, which will build a 10,000 year clock to help illustrate the risks associated with short-sighted actions. He's active in the area of generative creation, a systems based process that uses simple tools to create music, video, and static art filled with wonderful complexity. Tickets may still be available for his lecture at the Carpenter Center, but they’re sure to sell out. The opening and reception for the museum's exhibition takes place on Saturday, September 12th from 6-8 PM. Scoates will open the reception with a gallery talk.