Laura Beard

“Acoustic Shadow”

new paintings

Opening on May  4th 2017, 7 p.m.

Open by appointment until June 4, 2017

Where sound goes to die, acoustic shadows are areas where sounds, from a certain direction and on a given day, will not penetrate; these acoustic phenomena occur either because the sound waves are absorbed, refracted or simply blown in a different direction. Relatively unnoticed in our modern, wired world, the phenomenon played a significant role in some of the most famous battles of the American Civil War.

I feel this phenomenon is a metaphor for our contemporary existence.  What you see you cannot hear and what you hear you cannot see. I feel this is not just on a broad scale like a battle field I think it can also be an intimate experience. What is in front of me I can't hear it. What I see I can't believe, comprehend or because of the distance (not always a physical distance) hear the sound. It affects us physically, viscerally and in the mind. 

Born in Plattsburg, New York.

She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and printmaking from Colorado State University and a Master of Fine Arts in painting from the University of Washington in Seattle.