Mountains, lakes, rivers an deserts become instruments of the DJ in this glitchy and poetic work about searching surfaces and touching sounds.
A Rough Mix, 2007 – 8:00 mins
Rick Silva (Brazil, 1977): Rick Silva’s artwork has been exhibited in festivals and museums in five continents including Transmediale (Germany), Sonar (Spain), Futuresonic (England), VideoBrasil, DOTMOV (Japan) and The Whitney Museum of American Art’s Artport. Silva has performed his work live in London, Tokyo, the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, and Houston’s Software Cinema Festival. His artwork has been written about in the New York Times, The Guardian UK, Liberation, El Pais, and featured on the CBS Evening News. He is currently a visiting professor of digital media at the University of Georgia (Athens).
Rick Silva – Athens Georgia
17 Days Video Series 
I really enjoyed almost everything about this video except for maybe the length. The audio with the tangible natural elements and places that he was mixing with them really created an interesting juxtaposition of the mechanical and the natural. The video was cut just enough to give the viewer a glimpse of where he was making the “sound” and gave us a wide variety of places that he was mixing them with. I like how first there is an aerial view of where the he is, then a close up of exactly where and on what he is coaxing the sound out of. It would be a very different world if these objects really did make the sounds that he is coupling them with, would it then be that DJ would try to make sound that sounds like nature does now…
I think this video had some really striking visuals (we all know I’m sucker for a good landscape), but I really just liked to playfulness I got from this. Even beyond the concept of nature and a weird synesthetia (“touching sounds” I really liked that). I really believe that sometimes art shouldn’t shout the fact that it’s art at you. Sometimes, maybe the best art, you should enjoy looking at it so much that you forget it’s art.
Loved the idea. Our world is so media driven. More and more people are so technology and media driven we don’t spend any time listening to the sounds nature gives us. Combining natural elements of the world with technology is very interesting.
i really enjoyed this video. at first it seemed funny for someone to be djing on a tree stump, but as i began to be immersed in the textures, colors, and sounds it took on a life of its own. one could almost feel the textures of the rocks and moss, and feel the hot sand and the icy stream. while the concept seems very simple, the editing and results are phenomenal.
This is quite a long video but I still really enjoyed it. There are so many different scenes that he went through it was amazing. It just gives off a feeling of pure visual appeal that could be taken to so many different levels. I thoroughly enjoyed his sound but I definitely hear his influence in the mix. The video with the collaboration of sound was outstanding, I would love to see documentary on how this was started.
The nature DJ. what more can i say besides to scratch the best grass? thinking of nature being the music was a great idea, the use of repetitive sounds also gave a “scratching feel” but not really a music sense. I wish there was more of a themed music instead of constant scratching…
f’ing sweet. the glitchy repetition of this video makes it all worth while. i’m a bit biased because i have an affinity for everything DJ so this is right up my alley, but the concept of scratching/spinning nature is outstanding. original and well executed. I Don’t at all mind the length of the piece, solidifies the concept and backs up the electronic music/sound feel. plus, simply stated, some of the shots are just plain cool and the guy has some sweet kicks…
I really enjoyed this one, the blend of music, and the person interacting with nature around him in an unusual way really came together for me. I wish though that perhaps the music sounded less electronic, and maybe something with more affinity for nature. I also wasnt really satisfied with the scenes of the hands and whatnot on what appeared to be glass, it kind of reminded me of a weird photo copier system or something.
I love this idea of the nature DJ. The use of multiple environments to see and hear each of their sounds is really unique idea. I also really enjoyed the shots of the topographic maps and how it implies his travels and how this sense of inspiration can be anywhere. When the close up of the hand on glass breaks the noise sharp noises it leaves me in the moment of “mixing” and seeing the process of moving with the elements to create his sound. I would like to see the future of this elemental mixing and possibly more equipment than an old mixer…