Bio
Lewis Kaye is a Toronto-based sound artist, media studies researcher, and educator whose work explores the interplay of sound, technology and culture through both critical enquiry and creative practice. Kaye’s work finds expression in many forms, including media installation, video and live performance. Major recent works include Transposition (SFXSeoul Festival, 2019), the curatorial project Hearing Video (Vtape, Toronto, 2018), Crowds ReSpaced (Signalraum Gallery, Munich, 2014) and the McLuhan-themed Through The Vanishing Point (CONTACT Photography Festival, 2010-2011). Lewis holds a PhD in Communication and Culture from York University, and teaches on media studies and digital culture at several universities around Toronto.
Questionaire
Why did you get involved in this project?
Midi asked me! I also loved the premise. I very much appreciate collaborative work, and this project embodied a very interesting take on the collaborative process. I also felt I had something to offer the project given my own practice.
Did the one week turn-around for the work help or hinder your creativity?
I actually wouldn’t characterize the turn-around time as either help or hinderance. Nevertheless, I appreciate deadlines and the constraints they impose upon creative work. That said, when needed there was ample flexibility with the deadlines. This made total sense given the collaborative nature of the project.
How did you feel about working on a project where you didn’t know who you were collaborating with?
I enjoyed it very much. I appreciate exquisite corpse-style approaches to creative collaboration and enjoy how different visions can meld in unspoken and surprising ways.
Has being involved in the project changed your thoughts on creativity?
To be honest, not really. My own approach to creativity has always foregrounded questions of process and collaboration, so this exercise resonated with me from the start.
If you worked on several videos, what kept you coming back for more and how many did you do?
It was nice to keep busy with small, bite-sized (so to speak) projects. I’ve been thoroughly impressed with the quality of the work throughout the project, and the process Midi designed kept me very curious about what I might see next.