Johanna Nulty

Cacophony

(Warning: does contain flashing strobe lights!)

The main components in my practice are sound, video and installation. I’m interested in exploring sound from mass-produced materials. Amalgamating the different sounds, creating visual and audio works. Exploring sound from mass-produced materials through subconscious movements and their possibilities to act as an interactive performer towards the camera. Everyday materials, arranged unexpectedly became triggers for unloading the subconscious mind. Amalgamating the different sounds, creating visual and audio videos and sound work. The process of the work is recording myself exploring with the objects and materials and creating a diverse spectrum of sounds but also thinking about texture and warmth with the sound and material.

My practice includes recording, editing, storing, manipulating, messing up, borrowing, producing and sharing. Making the process of moving images an interesting effect on the work. Distorting and amalgamating the moving images gives it an unrecognizable visual. The mass-produced materials and found objects don’t reveal their source and so then are not literal or illustrative of the source or action. From the sound recordings fragments are taken apart and rearranged and are invested in the process. The process involves combining, fitting together, layering, detaching, including and building up each concurrent sound, so that an arrangement is made in which is realized in the composition.

Johanna Nulty is a visual artist based in Cavan, Ireland. Nulty has a BA in Fine Art from Institute of Technology Sligo and received her MFA from Ulster University. Nulty’s work is predominantly object based, exploring sound from mass produced materials and found objects. Her practice explores the possibilities of the subconscious movement of everyday material and often results in an amalgamation of audio videos and sound pieces.

Nulty had her first solo exhibition ‘A Portrait of this Region’ in Townhall Gallery, Cavan, 2017 and recently ‘FRACAS’, Sound Installation in Flax Art Studios, Havelock House, Belfast, 2020. Other notable exhibitions include Audioblast Festival #8, Apo33, France, ‘Photophobia Contemporary Moving Image Festival, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Canada, Flax Art Studios 30th Anniversary, Flax Art Studios, Havelock House, Belfast, Catalyst Audio Tracks 002 Resonance and Catalyst Audio Tracks | Our Listening Baths, Catalyst Arts, Belfast.