Artist Talk: Ven Voisey

Ven Voisey is an interdisciplinary artist, working primarily in sculpture, installation and sound. Currently splitting his time between Oakland and Wonder Valley, California, Voisey’s method of creating work often starts from a practice of listening to his surroundings, then responding. He is interested in how structures and rituals can affect our relationship to the places and communities we inhabit; and how that relationship between the two can shape and change those involved. His artworks are attempts at creating tools for interfacing that exchange.

Ven will present new sculpture and sound work created during his residency at Alluvial, as well as an informal conversation about his work.

In 2000, he received a BA from San Francisco State University in a self-designed major combining humanities, electronic music , film, and conceptual art. He continued his education outside of school by working, touring and collaborating with kinetic sculpture and installation collective Amorphic Robot Works and its creative director Chico Macmurtrie, building machines, learning electronics, and composing music. In 2003, Voisey moved to North Adams, MA where he worked with a variety of arts organizations (MASS MoCA, MCLA Gallery 51, Clark Art Institute, Images Cinema…) and making his own work in his studio and exhibiting nationally. In 2010 he was Artist-in-Residence at the Berkshire Museum and was awarded the Individual Artist grant from Local Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire. His work was included in the 2012 deCordova Biennial. In 2013 he was a fellow of the Roswell Artist in Residence Program in Roswell, New Mexico. He returned California in 2014 where he is currently creating and exhibiting work.

Alluvial is a collective project space in Rinconada, NM. Focusing on one day engagements with the occasional weeks-long event. Alluvial strives to provide a fertile substrate that supports both local programming and short term artist residencies.