June 13-August 23, 2002

Inspired by the observation that perfect pitch in music has a strong genetic component, Jim Pridgeon uses sound and color to explore the genetics of aesthetics.  By seeking the boundaries between nature and nurture, Pridgeon hopes to explore the reciprocal influences between art and brain.  Ultimately these explorations lead toward larger questions of preference and behavior as influenced by genetics and society, and specifically to the relationship of beauty and the brain.  The brain has been conditioned to accept certain things in a certain way, including an appreciation of color, beauty and the environment.  Evidence lies in different cultures’ perceptions of beauty and also the brain’s varying ability to process different language systems.

“Perfect Pitch” is based on the fundamental building blocks of pure color, pure form, and pure sound.  The visual composition comprises myriad colors in various forms.  Tonal colors and the “color” of sounds interact with one another as the artist examines how these basic elements lead to perception and how the brain processes aesthetics.

Presented in Partnership with the Henry Art Gallery’s Gene(sis) exhibition.

Artists