Signal Operators, an evening long microfestival of performances by new media artists Golan Levin, Tommy Becker, Sue Costabile, Scott Arford, Tree Wave, and Rick Silva took place Closing on April 20, 2006 in the UH Dudley Recital Hall. Presented in collaboration with Houston’s Aurora Picture Show, this evening included the following artists’ works:

Golan Levin, the curator of the event, and performed his piece entitled Scribble, a semi-improvisational audio/visual concert featuring computer-generated imagery and sounds, during the evening. Levin is an artist, composer, performer and engineer interested in developing artifacts and events that explore new modes of reactive expression. His work focuses on the design of systems for the creation, manipulation and performance of simultaneous image and sound. Through performances, digital artifacts, and virtual environments (often created with a variety of collaborators), Levin applies creative twists to digital technologies that highlight our relationship with machines, make visible our ways of interacting with each other, and explore the intersection of abstract communication and interactivity. Presently Levin is Assistant Professor of Electronic Time-Based Art at Carnegie Mellon University; his work is represented by the Bitforms Gallery, New York City.

Sue Costabile presented her experimental film project, Mini Movies, complete with live narration and reenacted scenes. Costabile is a photographer and video artist working with a combination of analog and digital processes, both as a solo artist and in collaboration with various musicians. She has been involved in video media since 1998, and is currently focused on live improvisational video performances using a custom built system in the max/msp/JITTER software environment.

Scott Arford performed Static Room, which combines video signals with audio effects. Another work, TV-IV combines the sounds created from two television picture tubes fitted with microphones. Arford teaches at California College of Arts in Oakland, CA, and is one of the leading figures of new media arts in the San Francisco Bay Area.  He has produced numerous works for sound and video including multichannel installations, live performances, CD and DVD projects.  He is the founder of 7hz, a warehouse/performance space in San Francisco.

Dallas-based Tree Wave makes shoegazy pop music and video using obsolete computer and videogame gear from the 1970’s and ‘80’s, accompanied by female vocals.  Their work combines electronic pop generated by retro-computers such as the Commodore 64 with imagery reflective of the Atari age of video games.  They perform regularly at festivals and new media venues throughout the US and Europe.