Joel Gethin Lewis from UVA

[RS Gallery] • Joel Gethin Lewis is a member of United Visual Artists, a British-based collective whose current practice spans many genres. They have collaborated on live performances with bands including Chemical Brothers, Massive Attack, and Battles. Their responsive installations, using lights and software, have been presented by theVictoria Albert Museum and the Tate Modern, among other places.

MR: What's your personal mantra?

JGL: UVA's aim is to create immersive, responsive, memorable experiences. This is our mantra.

What does the role of Artist mean to you?

The role of the artist is to make people consider and question their lives,to try to encourage them to step outside their normal responsibilitiesand methods.

What is the driving force behind your creativity?

Curiosity, both technological and relational. How can people relate to each otherin different ways and how can technology facilitate this?

What transformative experiences have influenced your life and how has that manifested in your work?

As we are a collective, it is difficult to describe such experiences. It is safe to say that the instant when a person or a group moves into the moment, away from memories or thoughts of the future is a transformative experience that we have all shared at one point or another.

How long does it take you on average to complete a piece of work, and do you ever do several pieces simultaneously?

It's impossible to say how long it takes to complete a piece of work, as every one is different. We are always working on several projects simultaneously.

Why should people check out your work?

See above.

How does your work affect Consciousness, and what are your views on the evolution of consciousness?

Weare not really sure what consciousness is. We suspect it is intensely personal, and any description to be so subjective as to be (almost)useless. We have yet to witness a technological solution that beats the experience of a group of people being in the same physical space.