I am currently exhibiting a mix of new and remixed/re-activated old work in a solo exhibition in Platform Arts’ new home in Connswater Shopping Centre, Belfast. The exhibition had been postponed several times due to Platform losing their old space and successive lockdowns during the pandemic. Under current restrictions, we cannot welcome people in to the gallery but shoppers are very welcome to observe through the windows. This is the press release:

Rule Driven

Platform Arts presents Rule Driven by John Macormac. The exhibition is the latest manifestation of an ongoing exploration of sonic and visual pattern, informed by mathematics, geometry and the natural world. Each component enacts a set of carefully formulated, self-determined rules, influenced greatly by instructions for works written by Sol LeWitt.

Densely worked drawings of repeated forms echo those present in nature gathering inspiration from wide ranging sources, from the hexagonal structures of beehives to the lattice formations of atoms in crystals. In providing Instructions for drawing for the audience to take and make themselves, the heroic artist myth is interrupted and the artist/audience hierarchy is challenged.  Visual rhythm is augmented and amplified by layers of percussive sounds and field recordings that have been digitally processed. The imposing sculpture takes influence from science fiction, particularly the mysterious monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is a three dimensional distillation of a sustained period engaging with geometric forms. 

The show will feature a specially composed collaborative performance with Doctor Robin Price that includes a drum kit prepared with contact microphones triggering synthesised sounds and images that are manipulated in real time.

John Macormac is a recipient of a Support for the Individual Artist Programme award from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.