Pushing the Envelope: ADSR - Bob Moog Foundation Event

"Asheville Arts Council and Bob Moog Foundation Announce Collaborative Three-Week Exhibit, Pushing the Envelope: Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release

Opening: Saturday, July 9th at 8 p.m.
Workshops: July 13th, 20th, and 26th at 6 p.m.

Closing Evening of Performances: Saturday, July 30th at 8 p.m.

Asheville, NC, June 12, 2011 - Pushing the Envelope: ADSR is a forthcoming multimedia art show melding the historical roots of electronic music with the creativity of Asheville artists who have been inspired by the connections between analog synthesis and visual and performing arts. Bob Moog's pioneering work will serve as inspiration for the exhibit. The show will be held at The Artery in Asheville's River Arts District from Saturday, July 9th, through Saturday, July 30th. The Asheville Arts Council and the Bob Moog Foundation are cosponsoring the three-week exhibit.

Artists involved in the show will interpret the concept of shaping sound through an “envelope,” drawing inspiration from the synthesizer parameters attack, decay, sustain and release. Pushing the Envelope's participating artists are:

R. Brooke Priddy, Janice Lancaster Larsen, Adam Larsen, and Kima Moore —
A movement/installation/sound collaboration

Jason Daniello – An interactive, analog sound installation / performance

Gene A. Felice II & David Mcconville – An interactive, cymatics / analog sound collaboration

Elisa Faires – Sound performance / installation

River Guerguerian – Sound performance and workshop

Bridget Elmer – An analog sound-inspired letterpress print series & workshop

Shaun Hollingsworth – A BMF archive-inspired photo print series

Gabriel Shaffer – A painting / sculptural theremin exhibit

The work of 12 artists will surround a small selection of analog electronic instruments, schematics, notes, and ephemera from Bob Moog's archives, illustrating the connection between innovation, electronic sound, and creativity in the arts. A focal point of the show, the archives will illustrate both the history and the technology behind the Moog sound. This includes the envelope generator, a major component in music synthesis that controls changes in a sound’s loudness and spectral content over time. Most envelope generators control four parameters—attack, decay, sustain, and release—commonly referred to as simply ADSR.

There will also be a series of all-ages workshops focused on the show’s theme and on community outreach and education. Participants will have opportunities to learn about electronic synthesis, sound visualization, and art in a hands-on environment.

In addition, the show will give the Asheville Arts Council and the Bob Moog Foundation opportunities to highlight their respective missions and pay homage to art, music, and technology as intertwined mediums of expression that were all expressed in Bob Moog’s work.

“We are delighted to be collaborating with a breadth of Asheville's talented artists. Inspiring creativity, be it sonic, visual, technical, or intellectual, is at the heart of the Foundation's work. It's very exciting to see Bob Moog's work come alive through the exceptional talent that exists in our unique city.”

– Michelle Moog-Koussa, Bob Moog Foundation’s Executive Director

“Through the various forms of synthesis, we control the spectral content of sound and image as it changes over time. Through the modes of attack, decay, sustain, and release, we influence the sonic character of our work. The ADSR envelope will control the amplitude and frequency of creation. From nil to peak, subsequent rundown, the key is released, leveling to zero.”

– Gene Felice, Collaborating Artist & Curator for the show

“The legacy of Bob Moog and his impact on the creative community here truly cannot be overstated. We’re honored, not only to have the opportunity to pay tribute, but also to engage several of the area’s most vital emerging artists who continue to build upon Moog’s ingenuity.”

– Graham Hackett, Interim Executive Director of the Asheville Arts Council

The Bob Moog Foundation honors the legacy of synthesizer pioneer Bob Moog through its mission of igniting creativity at the intersection of music, history, science, and innovation. Its projects include the MoogLab Student Outreach Program, which brings electronic musical instruments into the schools to teach children science through music; the Archive Preservation Initiative, an effort to preserve and protect the inventor's extensive and historical archive; and the future Moogseum, an innovative educational, historical, and cultural facility that will bring Bob Moog's spirit alive through interactive, experiential exhibits.

The Asheville Area Arts Council is a non-profit service organization that seeks to enhance the capacity and impact of the creative sector, improving the quality of life for our entire community.

The Artery’s hours are 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday."