Cacophony by Carrie Ann Plank utilizes concepts from acoustics and the intricate mathematics of harmonics to translate the dynamics of sound and vibration into intricate visual layers. The resulting patterns, both chaotic and ordered, stem from natural waveforms, capturing the immediacy and temporal richness of vibrational movement while unveiling the hidden structure of the universe. This exploration prompts viewers to consider the deep harmony that underlies our world, often overlooked in everyday life. The work emphasizes sound’s inherent duality-its ability to embody chaos and harmony, resonance and dissonance, all unified through the fundamental rhythm of vibration.
The artist employs adapted printmaking techniques to bridge the intangible qualities of sound with precise visual representations. Using a matrix of layered woodcarving and transparent inks, each piece becomes a site of controlled resonance, where impressions enhance the rhythmic complexity of the composition. The repetition and layering intrinsic to printmaking reflect the cyclical nature of sound waves, creating a visual rhythm that parallels both auditory structures and the unending flow of vibration itself.
Cacophony invites viewers to reconsider the boundaries between sight and sound, encouraging them to experience vibration as a tangible, visual encounter.
Carrie Ann Plank is a San Francisco-based artist working in installation, printmaking, and painting. Focusing on layers of sophisticated geometry, Plank examines the space of intersecting patterns to describe new structures. The work utilizes mathematical equations to create multiple overlapping impressions that reveal additional distinct pattern formations. The resulting forms are space in between, the intercession, of concrete data.
Plank’s work is included in multiple collections including the Fine Art Archives of the Library of Congress, Fine Art Museums of San Francisco, Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, the Guanlan Print Art Museum in China, Museum Meermanno in The Hague, Netherlands and Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Havana, Cuba. Residencies include Black Church Print in Dublin Ireland, KALA in Berkeley, CA, Konstnärernas Kollektiva Grafikverkstad in Malmö, Sweden, Local Language, Oakland, CA, Taller Experimental de Gráfica de La Habana in Havana, Cuba, the Íslensk Grafík in Reykjavik, Iceland, Edition/Basel in Basel, Switzerland, Mullowney Printing in San Francisco, CA, Haystack Mountain School of Craft in Deer Isle, ME, and Bullseye Glass in Emeryville, CA. Additionally, Plank had a 20 year teaching career before devoting herself solely to her artist practice in 2018. Most recently, Plank was a 2024 Society for the Encouragement of Contemporary (SECA) at SFMOMA. She is active in the Bay Area arts community serving on boards and committees such as Root Division, California Society of Printmakers, and Art for AIDS.She is a 2024 SECA nominee.