Paul B. Davis (http://www.post-data.org/~paul)
Paul is a computer artist and composer, currently living and working in London, UK. Founded Beige Records with Joseph Beuckman in 1997 and the BEIGE Programming Ensemble with Cory Arcangel, Joseph Beuckman, and Joseph Bonn in 2000. Graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, graduate study at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Paul pioneered and developed the use of hacked Nintendo Entertainment System cartridges as an artistic medium and created BEIGE's first Nintendo artworks. His Nintendo work was premiered in 2000, and both solo and collaborative works have been shown at the Whitney Museum of Modern Art, Deadtech [Chicago], TEAM Gallery [NY], and Lothringer 13 [Munich]. BEIGE members have subsequently used hacked NES systems to create a distinct body of work that has been shown internationally. Paul created & curated The BEIGE World Cassette Jockey Championships and his first solo record, "Pretty" [2001], sold out within weeks thanks to repeated spins on John Peel's BBC Radio1 show. His music has appeared on Matthew Herbert's Soundslike label, DJ Q-Bert’s Wavetwisters DVD, and in Nike and Benihana commercials. Paul also produced the music for his band The 8-Bit Construction Set. Performing as "DJ Spin-Laden", is the only DJ to ever get thrown off stage at the Technics/DMC World DJ Championships. Recent projects include new singles for Wobblyhead Records, performing music and wizardy in a duo with DJ LeDeuce [Thrill Jockey] known as The Potions, co-founding Camp Gay, a Chicago performance venue, performing at the 2004 Liverpool Biennale and lecturing on video game hacking at the Royal Festival Hall, London. Currently teaching DJ and Circuit-bending & Nintendo hacking workshops across England for LektroLAB as part of an initiative with Channel 4/IdeasFactory and presenting a weekly radio show of new American music on Resonance FM London [UK].
With Beige/8-Bit:
BEIGE is a loose knit crew of 4 members - Cory Arcangel, Joe Beuckman, Joseph Bonn and Paul B. Davis that formed in 2000 as an extension of Davis and Beuckman’s Beige Records. Together they have developed a practice of hacking obsolete 8bit computers and video game systems they find in the trash to make art. BEIGE's work has been called "absolute genius" by XLR8R Magazine; The NYTIMES called BEIGE nerds in 2001, then named BEIGE in their "best moments in art" poll in 2002. Their last release on Beige Records, "The 8bit Construction Set", is one of the best selling DJ battle records of all time and is one of the first ever uses of vinyl for software distribution. Received New York State Council for the Arts grant sponsored by Harvestworks to complete a limited edition Nintendo cartridge and have had solo shows at DEADTECH in Chicago, Lothringer13 in Munich and Space 1026 in Philadelphia. Recent performances at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, "The Summer of HTML" Tour across the USA with PaperRad, the Whitney Museum [NY], and the 2004 Liverpool Biennale. BEIGE has shown work at the Guggenheim [NY], 2004 Whitney Biennial, ICA [London] and Tate Britain, among others.
Last updated Dec 2005