Alan Nakagawa/ Artist Statement

I have had tinnitus or ringing in the ear since I was about age five, varying in intensity and pitch at any given moment. Sometimes I am not aware of it at all and sometimes it is very present. There are several tones happening at once and as a child I used to focus and change the clarity of these pitches, like playing an instrument.

By age nine, I was introduced to painting and music. I think my tinnitus, which is very common, influenced my approach to art making; the manner in which I put themes and imagery together; and my intuitive approach to sound composition. As a young adult, I found myself attracted to collaborations and spent 28 years experimenting with various multi-media formats through inter-disciplinary collaborations i.e. video, performance, installation, text, digital-media, circuit bending, public engagement, webcasting, mail art and zines.

Six years ago, I began to focus on my solo art career. In a sense, I’ve found my way back to the ringing in my ear. I’ve discovered the work of Royal Rife, a scientist who utilized frequencies to destroy pathogens. I am researching his work and other technologies and letting it lead me to new directions, interpreting my personal experiences, science and social issues through participatory experiences. I am especially interested in how we perceive sound, how we listen, how we can listen better and listening beyond the ear. I’ve also used pop iconography, historic references and personal symbology in my sound-based experiences, breaking down the myth of music and encouraging totality experiences. I am building a body of work that investigates the tactility of sound and how sound defines space through installations I call ghost architecture.