Mungo Thomson, b/w, 2008.

b/w
b/w, a sound work on vinyl 12” LPs, greets visitors as they enter the Museum and cross the bridge. The source and identification of the soundtrack is not readily apparent to the visitor and could easily be mistaken for “natural” ambient noise. As a conceptual artist drawing from expansive interests in cosmology, mysticism, and reception theory, for b/w Thomson applies a principle drawn from marine audio research—where certain deep-sea recordings are inaudible until sped up 16x—to create an effect that is reminiscent of commercial relaxation recordings of “natural” sounds. One track of b/w speeds up vinyl recordings of humpback whalesong 16x until they resemble birdsong; the other track slows down birdsong recordings on vinyl 16x until they resemble whalesong. At its heart, b/w is about multiple definitions and applications of distortion as an audio effect, a physical phenomenon and a perceptual problem.

About Mungo Thomson
The work of artist Mungo Thomson pairs a distinctly West Coast conceptual sensibility with an interest in cosmology, mysticism, and reception. His films, sound work, sculptures, publications, and photographic wall murals use simple processes of inversion and transformation that are joined with an expansive sense of space and context. Thomson holds a BFA from the University of Santa Cruz, CA, an MFA from the University of California, Los Angeles, and attended the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program. His recent solo exhibitions include Margo Leavin Gallery, Los Angeles; John Connelly Presents, New York; the Kadist Art Foundation, Paris; GAMeC, Bergoma, Italy; and the Fabric Workshop, Philadelphia. He has participated in group exhibitions at the Hirschhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C. and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago as well as biennials including the 2008 Whitney Biennial in New York; the 2008 La Havre Biennale in Le Havre, France; and the 2004 California Biennial at the Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach.

Whitney Biennial 2008
Negative Space
Past Work