Carrie Ann Plank: CACOPHONY

CARRIE ANN PLANK CACOPHONY

Cacophony explores the synesthetic potential of sound, reimagining auditory experiences as visual phenomena and emphasizing the intrinsic power of vibration. In this series, the artist transfigures sound’s ephemeral vibrations into tangible waveforms, constructing a “wall of sound” that envelops viewers in an immersive sensory experience. Each work invites contemplation of vibration as the fundamental pulse of sound—a force that connects and resonates within us, yet often escapes the limits of visual perception.

Drawing upon principles of acoustics and the mathematical intricacies of harmonics, Cacophony translates the dynamics of sound and vibration into layered visual constructs. The chaotic yet ordered patterns that emerge are derived from natural waveforms, capturing both the immediacy and temporal complexity of vibrational movement, and revealing the hidden strata of the universe’s order. Through this process, the artist invites contemplation of the profound harmony underlying our world, often concealed from casual observation. This approach underscores sound’s inherent multiplicity—its capacity for chaos and harmony, resonance and dissonance, all unified through the elemental rhythm of vibration.

The artist’s methodology is rooted in adapted printmaking techniques, mediating the transformation of sound’s intangible vibratory qualities into precise visual patterns. Through a matrix of layered woodcarving and transparent inks, each piece becomes a site of controlled resonance, where impressions amplify the rhythmic intricacy of the composition. The repetition and layering intrinsic to printmaking echo the recurrence and oscillation of sound waves, manifesting a visual rhythm that mirrors both auditory structures and the ceaseless motion of vibration itself.

Cacophony challenges and expands the perceptual boundaries between seeing and hearing, inviting viewers to experience vibration as a visceral, visual encounter. The series celebrates vibration as the foundational force of sound, drawing attention to its capacity to shape perception. It is both an exploration and an invitation to feel the unseen harmonics that underlie our world, to experience sound as a visual construct that reverberates within the imagination and the body alike.

Carrie Ann Plank is a San Francisco based artist working in installation, printmaking, and painting. Focusing on layers of sophisticated geometry, Plank examines the space of intersecting patterns to describe new structures. The work utilizes mathematical equations to create multiple overlapping impressions that reveal additional distinct pattern formations. The resulting forms are space in between, the intercession, of concrete data.

Plank’s work is included in multiple collections including the Fine Art Archives of the Library of Congress, Fine Art Museums of San Francisco, Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, the Guanlan Print Art Museum in China, Museum Meermanno in The Hague, Netherlands and Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Havana, Cuba. Residencies include Black Church Print in Dublin Ireland, KALA in Berkeley, CA, Konstnärernas Kollektiva Grafikverkstad in Malmö, Sweden, Local Language, Oakland, CA, Taller Experimental de Gráfica de La Habana in Havana, Cuba, the Íslensk Grafík in Reykjavik, Iceland, Edition/Basel in Basel, Switzerland, Mullowney Printing in San Francisco, CA, Haystack Mountain School of Craft in Deer Isle, ME, and Bullseye Glass in Emeryville, CA. Additionally, Plank has had a 20 year teaching career before devoting herself solely to her artist practice in 2018. Plank is active in the Bay Area arts community serving on boards and committees such as Root Division, California Society of Printmakers, and Art for AIDS.

She is a 2024 SECA nominee.

Plank is represented by Jonathan Carver Moore in San Francisco.