Nickolas Mohanna

Nickolas Mohanna
performing in Berlin, Germany 2023
Background information
Genres
InstrumentsGuitar, Computer, etc.
Years active2003–present
LabelsKarlrecords, Longform Editions/Preservation, Aagoo Records, AKP Recordings Run/Off
Websitenickolasmohanna.com

Nickolas Mohanna is an American artist, composer, and guitarist. His interdisciplinary practice employs a variety of media to explore and blur the borders between music, sound art, video and drawing.[1]

Biography

Born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1979 [2], he moved to the Bay Area to study printmaking at San Francisco State University and later went to the University of California, Davis for an MFA in Art Studio.[3][4] While there he took courses with Mike Henderson, Bob Ostertag,[5] Annabeth Rosen, Douglas Kahn, and Wayne Thiebaud. He lives and works in New York.[6]

Work

In his sound compositions, there is a "tendency of sculpting and orchestrating a minimal array of sounds into sonically rich and spacious atmospheres."[7] Some pieces explore field recordings processed into abstract soundscapes with electroacoustic procedures. "While other arrangements invoke a post-punk minimalism with flashes of Arthur Russell."[8] Most of the sounds are sourced from local environments.[9][10] While certain tracks "bury melodies in multiple layers of distortion to reveal their latent chromatic richness through gradually mutating textural contrast."[11] The "consistent tone makes it all flow together like raindrops forming a lake."[12] The music critic Byron Coley, writes he "rides on psychedelic clouds of freedom."[13] In a Village Voice interview, he remarks that his aim is to create an "immersive stereo space where the sound would be reduced to its rawest form."[14] In addition to these works, he has also published a number of artists' books which have served as visual accompaniments, conceptual ideas, or graphic scores to his sonic practice on the imprint Run/Off; which he founded in 2014.[15][16] Run/Off Editions has since published artists’ books by Marina Rosenfeld, Robin Watkins & Nina Canell, Milano Chow and others; focusing on the book form as a collaborative process.

Selected Discography

  • Optics Slow Flow Rec, CD, 2010. 
  • Phase Line Run/Off Editions & WFMU Free Music Archive, Digital/CD. 2015
  • Mantis Preservation, Tape/DL. 2016
  • Smoke Aagoo Records, LP, 2019
  • LIVE (with Jef Mertens) 291, Tape/DL. 2024

Publications / Multiples

  • Theater. France: Kaugummi, 2010.  
  • Particles Brooklyn, New York: Medium Rare, 2010. 
  • Apparatus France: Lendroit éditions, 2011. Offset poster publication. Edition of 1000.
  • Interface  France: Lendroit éditions, 2011. ISBN 978-2-917427-11-8.
  • Floodlights Brooklyn, New York: Oso Press, 2012. 
  • Boundaries  Los Angeles, CA: The Ice Plant, 2012. Edition of 100.
  • LAND New York, New York: Run/Off Editions, 2015. ISBN 978-1-63415-661-5.
  • Heat Death  France: Lendroit éditions, 2017. ISBN 978-2-37751-005-4.
  • Spin Group New York, New York: Run/Off Editions, 2021. ISBN 978-1-64871-848-9.
  • Broken Chords New York, New York: Run/Off Editions, 2023. ISBN 979-8-88992-023-6
  • Hydraulics New York, New York: Run/Off Editions, 2025. ISBN 979-8-90030-253-9

Film / Video

His video and film work have been used in both gallery installations and for live sound performances; using a range of computer animation, found video, or appropriated footage. Many of them have mirrored various sound compositions by using collage or distortion to explore electronic & acoustic processes.

  • Ruins, video projection, 16mm film transferred to video, 3:50 min, black/white, sound, 2008
  • Ceremony, video, 5:20 min, color, sound, 2010
  • Elements, 16mm film transferred to video 3:50 min, color, sound, 2011
  • Generator, video projection, 2:00 min, black/white, sound, 2013
  • Passage, video projection, 4:56 min, black/white, sound, 2015
  • Quadrant, video projection, 2:00 min, color, sound, 2017
  • Subsystem, video projection, animation, 6:17 min, black/white, sound, 2018
  • Beam & Column, video projection, 2:00 min, color, sound, 2019

Collections

His artists' books have been archived at the Franklin Furnace Archive, Whitney Museum of American Art, National Gallery of Art, Getty Research Institute, Tate Modern, Brooklyn Museum, Museum of Modern Art New York, Los Angeles County Museum, Cleveland Museum of Art, New York Public Library (Spencer Collection), Walker Art Center, Museum Ludwig (Cologne), and the Stedelijk Museum.

References

  1. ^ "Biography". The Ice Plant.
  2. ^ "Interview". M. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  3. ^ Jones, Dave (23 May 2008). "A show called Six". UC Davis. University News.
  4. ^ Filipinas, Rachel (5 June 2008). "Six". California Aggie.
  5. ^ Raggett, Ned. "Reflectors". AllMusic.
  6. ^ "Nickolas Mohanna". MoMA PS1. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
  7. ^ Fischer, Tobias. "Battling for supremacy". Tokafi.
  8. ^ Sherburne, Philip. "Shades Of Gray". Futurism Restated Number 104.
  9. ^ Catchpole, James (22 April 2016). "Mantis/Muovia". Fluid Radio.
  10. ^ "Phase Line". Decoder Magazine.
  11. ^ Cain, Nick, The WIRE, Issue 400, June 2017
  12. ^ Masters, Mark, Bandcamp Daily
  13. ^ Coley, Byron, The WIRE issue 483
  14. ^ Weingarten, Chistopher (16 December 2011). "Interview". Village Voice. Archived from the original on August 14, 2016.
  15. ^ "LACA Archive".
  16. ^ "Printed Matter".
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