For 15 years Clinton Watkins has produced work investigating effects that combinations of sonic and visual information can have on the viewer/listener. The key conceptual issues of his work are drawn from an interest in constructing immersive experiences through the use of sound, colour, time and scale of installation incorporating video projection, objects and the use of differently sized monitors. Watkins creates environments that explore and create symbiotic relationships between sound and visual stimuli. His research and outcomes do not seek to create an alternative virtual reality, but instead relies on the viewer/listener to experience physical sensations in real time and real space by investigating notions of immersion and sensory response to sonic and visual stimuli.
Read MoreThe visual and sound base of the work focuses on the characteristics, structures, phenomena, and processing of sonic and visual material through the exploration of repetition, digital and analog sequenced forms, improvisation, and aspects of formal music composition (such as tempo, rhythm, tone, phrasing, harmony and dissonance) as models for organization. Watkins also works as a practicing musician who regularly performs as a solo and collaborative artist and is an active member of the minimal electronic improvisation sextet, ‘Plains’, one half of the free noise duo, ‘Nights’ and core member of the pop group, ‘The Hungry Eyes’. Watkins has numerous releases of recorded material on a variety of local and international record labels such as Circle, 20 City, Claudia, Mystery Sea, C.M.R., Absurd and Scarcelight. Also working as a freelance audio engineer, Watkins composes and designs soundtracks for documentary and film, engineers and produces a variety of music based projects and works as a guest tutor at Elam School of Fine Arts and Massey University teaching sound and video.
Recent work has been shown at Two Rooms Gallery ‘Cross Talk’ group exhibition, Artspace ‘Martini Shot’ new artists show and at the Auckland City Art Gallery as part of the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Artists projects exhibition. Watkins holds an M.F.A. from the University of Auckland, Elam School of Fine Arts, B.V.A. from A.U.T, Diploma in Audio Engineering from S.A.E. and is currently working towards achieving a Doctoral Degree in Fine Arts at the University of Auckland, Elam School of Fine Arts.
