Ryoji Ikeda: The Physicality of Sound

Though Japanese musicians from Merzbow to Boris to Boredoms are cited as being on the cutting edge of sound, the fusion of sonics and experimentation is far from new to East Asia.

Ancient Buddhist texts from the oeuvre of the Zen patriarchs tell that in finding through focused aural meditation the pitch of the world, we find the pitch of ourselves, and thereby harmony. The work of Japanese aural/video artist Ryoji Ikeda is cutting edge, and part of a great tradition.

Despite the many albums and concerts, Ikeda is different from most musicians. Rather than focusing simply on the repetitive frequencies of drone or the minutia of abrasive static, Ikeda works with a specific philosophy.

Looking from the slightly warped perspective of all progressive artists, the sonic manipulator approaches sound as a physical force, focusing on its causality with human perception. We
know we’re in deep and unique territory when the artist dredges up words as arcane as the Platonic dianoia (the capacity for discursive thinking) to describe his work.

Ikeda’s audio/visual installations are wrapped in ethereal beauty though can err to the caustic. Many find his work overwhelmingly bizarre. A frequent complaint is the harshness of his compositions and the recondite visuals.

Yet Ikeda’s sounds and visions are not meant to be experienced by carelessly, or soothing melodies; they are physical forces, to be felt.

The artist’s point is not the art, but the art’s impact. In his employment of advanced technology, mind-bending math, and age-old notions of sound’s profound effect, Ikeda is pushing the physical and ideological boundaries of aural art.

Ryoji Ikeda will be on exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, in London, until April 11, 2010. For other cities and dates visit his website on:

www.ryojiikeda.com

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William Gish
Gloobbi Art

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