Stunningly dynamic audio-visual installation premieres August 27

Acclaimed artists JAM! with ‘Sonus Lumia: Perception’ at PAR Projects

CINCINNATI, OHIO - The audio-visual art installation "Sonus Lumia: Perception" is an interdisciplinary collaboration between acclaimed artists Ionne, Mary Barr Rhodes, and Benjamin Britton. Set to premiere at Cincinnati’s PAR-Projects on August 27 at 3PM, it is the first phase of a larger work in progress, collectively titled "Sonus Lumia"—an avant-garde fusion of electronic music, mixed media painting, and projection design that explores humanity's relationship with light.

The first part of the work, "Sonus Lumia: Perception," will be incorporated into the PAR-Projects "Jam!" Exhibition, which celebrates the works of artists with a local connections. Rhodes and Britton reside in the Greater Cincinnati area, while Ionne is a former Cincinnati resident who today resides in New Haven, Conn. "Sonus Lumia: Perception" will be presented in the gallery as part of “OUR- Block Party” organized by PAR-Projects’ on August 27 from 3PM to 10PM.

"Sonus Lumia: Perception" is a 16-minute multimedia experience consisting of a series of four electronic movements - songs written, performed and produced by Ionne to create an intense sonic soundscape. The songs serve as the foundation and inspiration for a series of original mixed media paintings by abstract expressionist Mary Barr Rhodes. The physical paintings are photographed and reconstructed over the music as living, moving projections by projection artist Benjamin Britton.

The music from "Sonus Lumia: Perception," a 16-minute EP, will be released on 5015 Records at a date to be announced following the exhibition premiere.

About Ionne With a music career beginning in the 1990s, Ionne has written music for daytime television and MTV. Over the years, he has worked with EMI Records, Atlantic Records, Capitol Records, Universal Music Group, V2 Records, and Hollywood Records on projects for Grace Jones, Pocket Size, Blessid Union of Souls, and LaKiesha Berri, to name just a few. He has produced numerous independent releases, including early solo works on Cincinnati's former Clubhead Records imprint under the moniker Que and with actor-singer Jennifer Fouché. Ionne is currently a creator at Midnight Oil Collective; director of marketing and communications at Yale Schwarzman Center, Yale University's Center for student life and the arts; and co-founder at 5015 Records with his brother, Grammy-nominated guitarist Rod Harris, Jr. Ionne, whose real name is Maurice Harris, is a PhD graduate of Cincinnati-based Union Institute & University with a major in Ethical & Creative Leadership. He leverages music for positive social change as an outgrowth of his research and lived experience. https://ionne.com

About Mary Barr Rhodes Mary Barr Rhodes lives and works in Cincinnati, Ohio. Rhodes is a mixed media artist working with themes related to nature, color energy, feminist issues and light resonance. Rhodes holds a Master of Art from Marshall University and was greatly influenced by the Abstract Expressionist Movement. Her artwork has been strongly influenced by the Feminist Movement and is infused with feminine energy. Dynamic color energy and light resonance radiate from her work. Her artwork reflects her personal interest in energy and light resonance. Her objective is to foster a sense of wonder in the viewer. Her artwork is in numerous prestigious corporations such as Graydon Law Firm, First Financial Bank, Von Lehman Accounting, KMK Law and Johnson Investment Counsel. Her artwork is also in numerous homes across the United States, Europe and South America. Recent highlights include an award by Polly Magazine and being named Artist of the Year by Art Design Consultants. She was recently commissioned by a new boutique hotel, The Kinley, and was awarded an upcoming light installation at PAR-Projects. All are invited to visit Rhodes in person at the Pendleton Art Center, Studio #712. https://marybarrrhodes.com

About Benjamin Britton Benjamin Britton is an electronic artist who grew up in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and lives in the American Midwest. He received his MA from the Goddard Graduate School at Vermont College, and his MFA in New Genres from the San Francisco Art Institute. He has exhibited his work in the New Museum of Contemporary Art and the Museum of Modern Art (NYC), Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston), Contemporary Art Center (Cincinnati), Ars Electronica Museum (Linz, Austria), Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam), The Getty Museum, American Film Institute and Epcot Center in Florida. Britton recently completed an immersive touchscreen gallery installation about the ancient Greek site of Delphi, he is working on an interactive multimedia project called Observatory, exploring the story of the zodiac, and studying multiuser Web3.0, immersive video architecture, VR, and AR. https://benbritton.net/

About PAR-Projects Professional Artistic Research (PAR-) Projects is an arts organization that's been influencing Cincinnati's creative landscape since 2010. PAR-Projects is best known for its collaborative projects such as using retrofitted shipping containers to land artistic experiences throughout the Greater Cincinnati Metro Area. The organization’s tagline is "Beyond FACE VALUE" -- Utilizing Fine Arts, Collaboration, and Education, to add VALUE to communities they're a part of. PAR-Projects mission is to empower diverse communities of people who believe in the arts. There up-and-coming arts and education campus can be found located at 1646 and 1662 Hoffner Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45223. https://parprojects.com/