untitled (viscera), 2022, installation view, wallach art gallery, n.y.c.
jonathan harris is a new york-based artist using objects, sound, and space as tools to explore cognitive and perceptual phenomena. This work typically involves the creation of environments that investigate the physical and spatial characteristics of sound, often taking the form of site-responsive installations whose sonic elements push against conventional temporal constructs and exist as sculptural or architectural materials themselves. jonathan’s practice is centered on how sound and architecture’s innate relationship with the body informs an individual’s conception of space and their place in the world, with a deep interest in cultivating observational practices that provoke—outside of art spaces— reengagement and realignment with real-world habitats.
he has presented this work in museums, galleries, and public sites throughout new york city, greater NY, the hudson valley, and internationally, including fridman gallery, half gallery, wallach art gallery, mount tremper arts, amenia crossroads studios, eonta space, various chashama exhibition spaces, and the neuberger museum of art. From 2021–2024, he exhibited Sunpath, a large-scale public installation at Purchase College, NY, which used artist-built electronics, photovoltaic data, and sound to trace the sun’s position in the sky across an array of loudspeakers positioned under the two 1000’-long outdoor arcades that form the perimeter of the college’s main campus plaza.
Jonathan studied harmony, composition, and sound at The Juilliard School and Purchase College, and holds an MFA in sound art from Columbia University.
education
columbia university, 2020–2022
mfa, sound art
purchase college, SUNY, 2016–2020
musb, composition / musb, PERFORMANCE / minor, visual arts
summa cum laude
the juilliard school, evening division, 2010–2013
concentration: harmonic / aural theory
workshops & residencies
harvestworks, apr 2024
Seminar/workshop on acoustic phenomenology with Bill Fontana.
residencia mundo florido, cdmx, sep-Dec 2022
EMPAC / rensselaer polytechnic institute, 2017–2019
spatial audio seminars exploring wave field synthesis, binaural/transaural audio, high-order ambisonics, and related software, with Markus Noisternig [IRCAM], Hans Tutschku [HUSEAC, Harvard University], Chris Chafe [CCRMA, Stanford University], Edgar Choueiri [3D3A, Princeton University], Rama Gottfried [CNMAT, UC Berkeley], & Natasha Barrett [Norges Musikkhøgskole]
wildeye, uk, oct 2017
field recording intensive with Chris watson & jez riley french.
publications
infinite input output, vol. i, jan 2025
essay, the invisible is real
moda critical review, vol. iv, may 2023
excerpts from umbilicus, selected/edited by aidan ford chisholm
exhibitions
dennos museum center, mi, jan 2025
installation & artist talk, sky into stone, with katrina bello
presented by tusen takk foundation
maverick, ny, sep 2024
unexpected music, curated by linnéa gad
installation, the space between us
peekskill open studios, ny, jun 2024
installation, deconstructed wave (13ch vrs.)
the perfect resiliency, from breathing room
other works in progress
CReate council on the arts, NY, APR–may, 2024
natural manipulation, curated by monika zarzeczna & stella yoon
INSTALLATION, HIDDEN MARSH
installation, untitled (creek v)
TROPS foundation, ny, mar 2024
NoRooz, curated by nora tofigh
installation, 13 moons (for julia)
campus arcades, suny purchase, ny, oct 2021–mar 2024
installation, sunpath
awards: suny purchase president’s award for public art; columbia univ. dean’s project grant
eonta space, nj, jun–sep 2022
troublemakers, curated by bayard, dan peyton & Lauren Farber
solar/lunar (on again off again), from breathing room
half gallery, ny, jul–aug 2022
otherwise, curated by carlota ortiz monasterio, Ho won kim & victoria horrocks
portrait (bell buoy 38, rye beach, ny), from breathing room
chashama (lenox hill), ny, jul 2022
noumena, curated by Emmanuel Olunkwa & Sally Eaves Hughes,
with assoc. curator Caroline Maxwell
untitled (cord-cutter), from breathing room
columbia university, ny, jun 2022
auction / portfolio box sale
the hum outside my window, from breathing room
wallach art gallery, lenfest center for the arts, ny, apr–may 2022
columbia mfa thesis exhibition, curated by elisabeth sherman
installation, untitled (viscera)
grace church van vorst, nj, mar 2022
con vivo presents new thread quartet: avalanche lily
presentation, m. cassinii
gabe m. wiener music & arts library, columbia university, ny, oct 2021
installation, study for membrane (from untitled (viscera))
performa 2021 biennial, ny, oct 2021
intonarumori concert ii
perfomance on the chessa reconstructions of the original russolo instruments
chashama (81 essex), ny, sep-oct 2021
better late than never, curated by owen duffy & junni chen
sound objects, untitled (giving in to the hurricane)
fridman gallery, ny, aug 2021
the world is changing fast / i am extremely adaptable, curated by lauren rosati
installation, placeling ii/c, phosphenes iii/a-f
amenia crossroads studios, ny, aug 2021
north of the wall, curated by rachel owens for upstate art weekend
sound objects, untitled (giving in to the hurricane)
wallach art gallery, lenfest center for the arts, ny, jun 2021
columbia Mfa Vasa exhibition, curated by regine basha
installation, cartographies iii/b (placeling), phosphenes ii/a-d
mount tremper arts, ny, apr 2020
presentation, structure 1973, study iv/f
space, perception lab, ny, dec 2019
performance, untitled (telematic improvisation v [catskills/westchester])
new york butoh institute festival, oct 2019
use of hive in lauren farber & steven dworkin’s fake news
Eonta space, nj, sep 2019
sound installation, sagittal
presented in conjunction with jill scipione: undoing history
short fables, perception lab, ny, may 2019
composer showcase
presentations of untitled (va2013), m. cassinii, coaxial, with blood & burdock we can see, canon melodica, and flora iii/d.
performances by new thread quartet, teresa diaz de cossio sánchez, STEFANIE PROULX, jessica li, gabriella savino, crystal wei & savanna merrill
please play, neuberger museum of art, ny, mar 2019
presentation, structure 1973, study ii/j
performance on original baschet and bertoia sound sculptures
biennial, eonta space, nj, oct–dec 2018
sound installations, fauna i & fauna iii/b
UABC ensenada, ensenada, mexico, aug 2018
coloquio internacional hacia un nuevo espacio sonoro/visual
presentation, STUDY FOR TWO FLUTES
performance by teresa diaz de cossio sánchez & STEFANIE PROULX
eonta space, nj, aug–sep 2018
the stuff without not here, WITH MONIKA ZARZECZNA
sound installation, fauna i–iii
CORTONA SESSIONS FOR NEW MUSIC, ITALY, may 2018
presentation, STUDY FOR TWO FLUTES
performance by teresa diaz de cossio sánchez & STEFANIE PROULX
＋/ PASSING PRESENT FUTURES, dtl, NY, MAY 2018
PRESENTATION, I AM MY OWN TWIN
climax, perception lab, ny, apr 2018
sound installation, untitled (va1016)
SPACE, perception lab, ny, apr 2018
sound installation, untitled (m1002)
WPSR, MAR 2018
LIVE BROADCAST, ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
CHASHAMA (470 vanderbilt), NY, jul 2017
we got lucky, curated by monika zarzeczna
sound installations, lost languages & 277/480