NICHOLAS LESLEY [email protected] nicklesley.com

Nick Lesley is a musician and media artist who has committed his professional career to facing the challenges of preserving and distributing media art. As a musician, he primarily plays improvised on drums and interactive electronics, combining percussion with analog and digital signal processing. Nick has composed music for dance, movie soundtracks, and recently a computer animation by pioneering computer artist Lillian Schwartz. He’s recorded with David Grubbs, performed in Rhys Chatham's "A Crimson Grail”, and the Boredoms "88 Boa Drum". He’s worked closely on audio/video work with , Kalup Linzy, and Pam Payne. In 2012, he curated an exhibition of video art for Lothringer13, in Munich, and he regularly advises on the installation of video and media art­work, including the exhibition “Circa 1971” at Dia Beacon (2011-­2012). As Distribution Manager at Electronic Arts Intermix, Nick worked closely with artists and art institutions to present video, sound, and other media works appropriately, in ways that preserve the integrity of the work.

EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE

2009-2011 Interaction Art Incubator Fellowship in Generative and New Media Arts from Analogous Projects, .

2005-2008 M.F.A. in Performance and Interactive Media Arts. City University of New York, Brooklyn College.

1997-2001 B.A. in Media Arts (major) and Music Technology (minor). University of California, San Diego.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS AND SCREENINGS

2014 MoMA PS1, Salon 94 AGGROBATICS (Radio Edit), 15 min. video, sound. Live- score performance for collaborative project with video by Jon Dieringer.

2014 Spectacle Theater AGGROBATICS, 40 min. video, sound. Live-score performance for collaborative project with video by Jon Dieringer.

2012 Lothringer13 in Munich, Germany. Curated exhibition of video art “From the EAI Archive.”

2012 Secret Project Robot, Video Infusion group exhibition (Brooklyn) Little Rubber People, 3 min. video, color, sound.

2011 .NO Gallery, group exhibition Tempo II. (NYC) Little Rubber People, 3 min. video, color, sound.

2011 .NO Gallery, group exhibition Tempo I. (NYC) Meditations on Existence and Abandonment of Order, 5 min. video, color, sound.

2010 Brewer's Mansion. (Brooklyn) EPIC DOOM, solo exhibition of interactive video/sound installation.

2009 Play With Fire Video Art Festival, groups exhibition. (NYC) Epic Doom (Black Metal City), an interactive video/sound installation and panel discussion.

2009 Wassaic Project, group exhibition. (Wassaic, NY) Family Fun Single-Channel Summer Censor, 11:37 min. video, color, sound.

2009 Monkey Town. (Brooklyn) Dreaming in Cartoon Pornography, 21min. two-channel video for four walls, color, sound.

2009 Ruffin Gallery. (Charlottesville, VA.) Leaves Interlaced, 3:20 min. video, color, silent.

2008 Over The Office. (Brooklyn) Church of the Rough Guide, multi-channel video- installation, sculpture, sound.

2007 AdHoc Art Space. (Brooklyn) The Duplication of Lost Objects / Salvation of an Amphitheatre, interactive video- and sound-installation, six-channel audio.

SELECTED PERFORMANCES AND COLLABORATION

2014 AGGROBATICS. Live-score using percussion and electronics, for video by Jon Dieringer. Performed at Spectacle Theate, MoMA PS1, and Salon 94.

2013 Sing Sweet Songs of Conviction. Solo and collaborative electronic music performance at Gallery MC, NYC.

2013 Lily’s Sea. Music for computer animation by artist Lillian Schwartz.

2011 Matter Forming / Particles In Motion. Solo performance with live electronic music and video, for Tempo II at .NO Gallery, NYC.

2010 PaLab Music Festival. Solo and collaborative electronic music performance at PaLab, in .

2009 Synchro. Streaming, international, improvised music performance. Soundworm in Tokyo vs. Nick Lesley in NYC.

2009 The Crimson Grail. By Rhys Chatham at , NYC. performance for 200 . Performer.

2008 Power 2. Multimedia performance at Issue Project Room (Brooklyn) curated by Lisa Baldini. Choreographed by Kristina Donello, with music by Avarus. Live-interactive video processing and three screen projection. Video performer, engineer.

2008 88 Boa Drum. Performance for 88 drummers, by Boredoms, directed by Gang Gang Dance (Brooklyn). Performer.

2008 Rough Guide to the Grotesque. Multimedia theatrical performance, co-authored and produced with Eben Lillie, at The Living Theatre NYC.

2007 The Orbis Tertius Ensemble at AdHoc Art Space and The Tank NYC. An open score performance, conducted by computer-generated video. Video-programmer and performer.

2006 Sometime Ago I Was In Love With A Tree. Multimedia dance piece choreographed by Jenny Seastone Stern. Composer and recording artist.

2006 Accursed Items at Galapagos and BAX (Brooklyn). Dance performance with choreography by Andrew Dinwiddie. Composer, performer.

2006 Aesthetics of Resistance. A twelve-hour audio book with music by David Grubbs. Recording artist.

2006 Untitled at Galapagos, Brooklyn College, and Harvestworks. Performance and recording, conducted by Yoni Niv. Improvised performer and recording artist.

2009-2015 Alien Whale. Music performance and recording project for guitar, keyboard, drums trio.

2005-2010 Gunung Sari. Music performance and recording project for handmade electronics and percussion, with interactive video programming. Co-author, programmer, performer, recording artist.

ONGOING Necking (since 2004). Improvised performance and recording project for two percussionists, electronics, and voice. Founder, performer, and recording artist.

AUDIO RECORDINGS

2014 Future Fossil Fuels (Necking, vinyl EP). Percussion, electronics, voice, production.

2014 Space Tan (Alien Whale, vinyl EP). Percussion.

2013 Sketches in Free Punk 2011 (Necking, digital album). Percussion, electronics, voice, production.

2012 Fear Is Not Conscience (Scarcity of Tanks, CD). Guitar.

2012 Vulgar Defender (Scarcity of Tanks, CD). Guitar.

2011 Split with DubKnowDub (Necking, cassette). Percussion, electronics, voice, recording, production.

2010 Matter Forming (Nick Lesley, CD). Solo electronics, analog and digital.

2010 Pick Your Poison (Nick Lesley, DVD). Video and music by NL.

2010 Live on Tape (Alien Whale, CD and cassette). Percussion.

2008 Dead Herring (Necking, CD). Percussion, electronics, voice.

2007 That Wanderest Unseen (Gunung Sari, CD). Percussion, electronics, recording, production.

2007 Invisible Things (Necking, CD). Percussion, programming, electronics, production.

2007 Goldfish Grow Over Graves (Necking, 7"vinyl.) Percussion, electronics, voice, recording, production.

2006 Slamat Trima Bintang (Gunung Sari, CD) percussion, electronics, recording, production.

2006 Dentist Heated Foil (Jazzhandzz, CD). Percussion, recording, production.

2005 We Accept Party (Necking, CD). Percussion, electronics, voice, recording, production.

2004 Toure de Force (Felicia & Coctopus, CD). Percussion, guitar, voice, recording, production.

2004 Celebration Our Folk (Vholtz, Limited Edition 3” CD-R). Percussion, recording, production.

2004 Beating Dream (Hale Zukas, CD). Recording, production.

2002 Bang Bang (Oma Yang, CD). Guitar, percussion, electronics, mixing, production.

2000 From the Heart of Jumbo Malaria (Oma Yang, CD). Guitar, percussion, electronics.

1999 By June or Join Us (Oma Yang, 12" vinyl). Guitar.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2007-2015. Electronic Arts Intermix. Distribution Manager. Coordinated purchases and rentals of moving image artworks to major international museums, galleries, and universities. Advised on installation and presentation of media artworks. Corresponded with media artists about licensing and presentation of their work. Managed distribution staff and interns.

2010 Brickhaus. Video editor, technical assistant, video software engineer.

2009 Rubin Museum of Art. AV Assistant, sound engineer, projectionist, lighting- engineer. Performance documentation.

2009 Kalup Linzy Studio. Technical Assistant to video-artist Kalup Linzy. Cinematography and video-editing.

2006-2008. Dead Herring. Curator, Manager at underground music venue.

2005 Issue Project Room. Live Sound Engineer, Assistant Curator. Operation of sixteen channel sound-system. Sound- and video-curation.

2001 - 2004 Amoeba Music. Used-Rock section leader, sales person.

2001 Tri-Coast Studios. Assistant sound-engineer. Post-production audio and commentary.

SCHOLARLY INTERESTS

- Multi-Channel Video Installation - Sound Art Installation - Interactive Media Performance and Installation - Physical Interfaces - Collaborative Improvisation - Digital Archiving and Preservation - Educational and Research Access to Digital Archives