https://williamjohnbrooks.com William John Brooks Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:32:35 +0000 https://williamjohnbrooks.com en https://williamjohnbrooks.com/Top-nav Thu, 02 Jun 2022 18:41:17 +0000 William John Brooks https://williamjohnbrooks.com/Top-nav HomeInformation Index https://williamjohnbrooks.com/Header Thu, 02 Jun 2022 18:41:18 +0000 William John Brooks https://williamjohnbrooks.com/Header William J. Brooks https://williamjohnbrooks.com/Palimpsest-2026 Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:32:35 +0000 William John Brooks https://williamjohnbrooks.com/Palimpsest-2026 Palimpsest <img width="8640" height="5760" width_o="8640" height_o="5760" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/fe1feec7ffb39cbc0532ad4244a1818e511e6bcaa4ed8d9eaf4eeeeec637f173/palimpsestWJB01.jpg" data-mid="247301850" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/fe1feec7ffb39cbc0532ad4244a1818e511e6bcaa4ed8d9eaf4eeeeec637f173/palimpsestWJB01.jpg" /> <img width="8640" height="5760" width_o="8640" height_o="5760" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3e79a70a2795343408ef3075a40a793c5c3f11a34760115a5bf355f48121bac4/palimpsestWJB04.jpg" data-mid="247301854" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3e79a70a2795343408ef3075a40a793c5c3f11a34760115a5bf355f48121bac4/palimpsestWJB04.jpg" /> <img width="8640" height="5760" width_o="8640" height_o="5760" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1535ce53b7a45c68f4cd372cbf335aa7172e21335289f5c6a65cb629e951fea9/palimpsestWJB03.jpg" data-mid="247301855" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1535ce53b7a45c68f4cd372cbf335aa7172e21335289f5c6a65cb629e951fea9/palimpsestWJB03.jpg" /> <img width="4058" height="5760" width_o="4058" height_o="5760" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/817e25d395c83488b9c5622e980d9542224203ab0bd831d5df68504b6b13c36d/palimpsestWJB05.jpg" data-mid="247301853" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/817e25d395c83488b9c5622e980d9542224203ab0bd831d5df68504b6b13c36d/palimpsestWJB05.jpg" /> <img width="1663" height="1043" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b84bc1f700b1231ed17a622ebd12eac107b183cec9991654bbd06890a612edf8/aberPrint-72.jpg"> Palimpsest, 2026 Print installation of intaglio prints. Dimensions: 4.3m length x 1m width Palimpsest, 2026, is a large-scale layered installation that conflates contemporary digital image-making with traditional intaglio print processes. The work captures fleeting radio transmissions and translates them into physical prints, arresting their ephemerality into tangible artifacts. By placing each layer over the next, the work deliberately disrupts the reception of the original recording; this accumulation generates a visual noise that mirrors the interference inherent in the radio spectrum. Captured in Pembrokeshire, the source transmissions span fragmented music, speech, and the rhythmic pulses of local infrastructure and telemetry, reaching from the provincial to the distant. Crucially, the specific content of each layer is determined by chance, as the intaglio plates themselves served as resonant antennas, filtering the radio spectrum through their unique physical properties. This process provides distinct 'viewfinder(s)' into the immaterial and ethereal space of the airwaves, revealing the fragile pertinence of these connections to our contemporary existence. The title, Palimpsest, refers to the constant reworkings of information across these frequencies, where the spectrum acts as a shared slate constantly rewritten by competing claims to attention. This mapping of the political tension inherent in the propagation of information transforms invisible transmissions into a tangible surface of overlapping histories. Here, distinct signals merge into a singular, complex texture that reveals the friction of these competing transmissions. https://williamjohnbrooks.com/Clastic-Resonance Fri, 16 May 2025 06:12:14 +0000 William John Brooks https://williamjohnbrooks.com/Clastic-Resonance Clastic Resonance <img width="5760" height="8640" width_o="5760" height_o="8640" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3ef3f5ac4174c70f9ac2e9ed783e3913b645095c1ee105a93cc0b0cf72a63220/ClasticResonance_wjb15.jpg" data-mid="238208900" border="0" data-scale="45" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3ef3f5ac4174c70f9ac2e9ed783e3913b645095c1ee105a93cc0b0cf72a63220/ClasticResonance_wjb15.jpg" /> <img width="8640" height="5760" width_o="8640" height_o="5760" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/300d84ba76d6ee8124d45e30f06d6e21c5c8b6bf0bb30612ff3b0a693a091f5b/ClasticResonance_wjb09.jpg" data-mid="238208858" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/300d84ba76d6ee8124d45e30f06d6e21c5c8b6bf0bb30612ff3b0a693a091f5b/ClasticResonance_wjb09.jpg" /> <img width="4977" height="8640" width_o="4977" height_o="8640" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2112d04376fe37e4efa743dcc5f28bfefe5f770037c8ec15839cce8e2c5306f9/ClasticResonance_wjb10.jpg" data-mid="238208905" border="0" data-scale="39" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2112d04376fe37e4efa743dcc5f28bfefe5f770037c8ec15839cce8e2c5306f9/ClasticResonance_wjb10.jpg" /> <img width="8640" height="5760" width_o="8640" height_o="5760" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b0a680c951f97ca7186e552bfebefadd6115e6d9c4a02ba1febbf8b621b81530/ClasticResonance_wjb08.jpg" data-mid="238208903" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b0a680c951f97ca7186e552bfebefadd6115e6d9c4a02ba1febbf8b621b81530/ClasticResonance_wjb08.jpg" /> Clastic Resonance, 2025 Dimensions: 8m length x 6m width An interactive multi-channel haptic installation, comprised of (5) ‘Riyadh Sandstone’ boulders on a plain of sand, each resonating with low-frequency sounds recorded from the vast urban development that Saudi Arabia is currently undertaking.Using contact transducers embedded in the sandstone, the installation transform each stone into an resonant body. The highly localized transmission of sound, barely perceptible at distance, requires the audience to reveal the sonic nature of the installation by interacting with the materiality of each natural form; placing their hands or body against the stones to perceive the resonance, reshaping the act of listening, from an auditory experience into a haptic, embodied encounter. Experiencing Riyadh’s soundscape, Brooks became increasingly aware of how sound marks a place—most notably through the call to prayer, a cultural phenomenon unfamiliar to him back home. This heightened sensitivity made him more attuned to the city’s rapid physical transformation and the sonic impressions it leaves in its wake. He started questioning how the sounds of construction and industry impinge upon the natural landscape. What traces do these activities leave behind, not just in memory but in material. This project examines that relationship by using Riyadh sandstone—an enduring geological presence—as a surface that carries the low-frequency resonances of urban expansion. By transmitting these vibrations through stone, the work shifts listening beyond the auditory and into a haptic experience. Visitors engage directly, pressing hands or ears against the surface to perceive the ephemeral echoes of a changing city. The project negotiates the relationship between the enduring natural material landscape and the transient sonic nature of a city in flux, inviting reflection on the anthropogenic impressions left upon the land. Exhibited. as part of the inagural Diriyah Arts Futures: Emerging New Media Artists 2025, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.&nbsp; https://williamjohnbrooks.com/Radio-Tapestry-II Sun, 24 Mar 2024 23:04:36 +0000 William John Brooks https://williamjohnbrooks.com/Radio-Tapestry-II Radio Tapestry II <img width="5760" height="8640" width_o="5760" height_o="8640" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0e153ad9887462659af2e194c3f5972f511d9fd3d8b743f5d58b816aaae21904/WJBradioTapestryII_02.jpg" data-mid="217922821" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0e153ad9887462659af2e194c3f5972f511d9fd3d8b743f5d58b816aaae21904/WJBradioTapestryII_02.jpg" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/866b1520e14eb7a9de240623f369938fbd87f47963746e9260b86af8dbec164f/WJBradioTapestryII_03.jpg" data-mid="217922822" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/866b1520e14eb7a9de240623f369938fbd87f47963746e9260b86af8dbec164f/WJBradioTapestryII_03.jpg" /> <img width="1195" height="1143" width_o="1195" height_o="1143" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5222069eb73969ed82787576473cdf692dce93f15a5746f370af9a1d641e9fc0/WJBradioTapestryII_04.jpg" data-mid="217922823" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5222069eb73969ed82787576473cdf692dce93f15a5746f370af9a1d641e9fc0/WJBradioTapestryII_04.jpg" /> Radio Tapestry II, 2024 Etched zinc plates with copper windings.&nbsp; Dimensions: 2.2m length x 1.2m width A collection of photographic etchings of wireless transmissions received in Pembrokeshire, South West Wales. Each plate, used for its conductive properties, depicts a moment of reception; a material representation of transient signals. These collated artefacts offer insight into what I refer to as the ‘Radio Frequency Landscape’—a non-optical space that carries our wireless identities, interactions, and existence in the digital age.&nbsp; Shortlisted, and exhibited. as part of the Gilchrist-Fisher Award 2024 at the Rebecca Hossack Gallery, Fitzrovia London. https://williamjohnbrooks.com/Macro-Impressions Fri, 01 Sep 2023 14:39:16 +0000 William John Brooks https://williamjohnbrooks.com/Macro-Impressions Macro Impressions <img width="1440" height="960" width_o="1440" height_o="960" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f7abf51cf0cc6468f506e748417fe497e030d77436ab5ef18edd8e831ec496e5/wjbMacroImpressions_img14.jpg" data-mid="189509817" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f7abf51cf0cc6468f506e748417fe497e030d77436ab5ef18edd8e831ec496e5/wjbMacroImpressions_img14.jpg" /> <img width="1440" height="960" width_o="1440" height_o="960" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/56c6aa609584de775fa6cce0d94c8581ed0b4cee6e0972d58aca4cbef74083c5/wjbMacroImpressions_img15.jpg" data-mid="189509783" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/56c6aa609584de775fa6cce0d94c8581ed0b4cee6e0972d58aca4cbef74083c5/wjbMacroImpressions_img15.jpg" /> <img width="1440" height="960" width_o="1440" height_o="960" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/29369526177403f41a8641bf703ec607b3cba14fb5265733fde70bb966ef182d/wjbMacroImpressions_img04.jpg" data-mid="189510070" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/29369526177403f41a8641bf703ec607b3cba14fb5265733fde70bb966ef182d/wjbMacroImpressions_img04.jpg" /> <img width="1440" height="960" width_o="1440" height_o="960" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/495ab1a7182392db7962211036469ca5d91c7679c511a951868825bcd25eb2a6/wjbMacroImpressions_img10.jpg" data-mid="189509827" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/495ab1a7182392db7962211036469ca5d91c7679c511a951868825bcd25eb2a6/wjbMacroImpressions_img10.jpg" /> Macro Impressions, 2023 Photographic Series.&nbsp; An extreme macro-photography series of inscribed metal plates. Used for their conductive properties, each plate depicts a moment of reception; a material representation of transient transmissions. Using such an intimate perspective affords us the ability to register the minute topography of each etching.&nbsp; https://williamjohnbrooks.com/Radio-Tapestry Thu, 02 Jun 2022 18:41:18 +0000 William John Brooks https://williamjohnbrooks.com/Radio-Tapestry Radio Tapestry <img width="596" height="895" width_o="596" height_o="895" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/619aec5c1f33645aff9d126ba70431196269a6a2239d3eb8f3d102b2b3ce8298/testasd.png" data-mid="144396733" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/596/i/619aec5c1f33645aff9d126ba70431196269a6a2239d3eb8f3d102b2b3ce8298/testasd.png" /> <img width="594" height="898" width_o="594" height_o="898" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/dea64ed1529dfd82b2b0d47a86eae90d9a63920b81fc02c685ff4daa7649c380/rfTest_02.png" data-mid="144991879" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/594/i/dea64ed1529dfd82b2b0d47a86eae90d9a63920b81fc02c685ff4daa7649c380/rfTest_02.png" /> <img width="596" height="900" width_o="596" height_o="900" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1319f3348dd635d783c4b76d8a17286cc9e84ff6703f9752c4721748a9309324/rfTest_04.png" data-mid="144991882" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/596/i/1319f3348dd635d783c4b76d8a17286cc9e84ff6703f9752c4721748a9309324/rfTest_04.png" /> <img width="596" height="897" width_o="596" height_o="897" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e5162441e497832fd761afbf0a8b5bb2c847b4690cf6eaa8afae3453e15e225c/rfTest_03.png" data-mid="144991880" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/596/i/e5162441e497832fd761afbf0a8b5bb2c847b4690cf6eaa8afae3453e15e225c/rfTest_03.png" /> Radio Tapestry, 2022 Sound Installation; Etched Zinc plates connected via copper thread, interfaced with a Raspberry Pi Computer Dimensions: 2.33m height x 1m width Radio Tapestry is an installation work, composed of photographic etchings of received radio transmissions on zinc plates. Used as antennae, each plate captures a fleeting moment in time, an intersection between electromagnetism, propagation, and human agency. Whether the recorded transmissions are intentional &nbsp;- music or communication - or unintentional – polluting electronic sources; security systems, transformers – the materiality of each plate offers an interface into an often-overlooked understanding of space, the Radio Frequency (RF) Landscape. &nbsp;A topographical conception of RF which emphasises that these ethereal interactions exist in parallel to the corporeal space we inhabit in our day-to-day lives. Each inscribed radio artefact is woven into the next via copper windings. An acknowledgement of the historic association with the textile process of warp and weft to radio’s interrelation between electricity and magnetism. This conductive continuity between plates allows each ‘stitch’ to become part of a larger fabric of antenna, in which every collated radio artefact serves part of a more substantial receiver. Received signals are then audibly played back in real-time, allowing us to witness the propagation of information in space.&nbsp; https://williamjohnbrooks.com/Inscriptions Tue, 14 Jun 2022 22:11:10 +0000 William John Brooks https://williamjohnbrooks.com/Inscriptions Inscriptions <img width="6000" height="4000" width_o="6000" height_o="4000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d274241779a76d12b34119924a72970a5ae0dfc07df4977cc830e6e86fe6e9c7/belfastWJB-6.jpg" data-mid="145450468" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d274241779a76d12b34119924a72970a5ae0dfc07df4977cc830e6e86fe6e9c7/belfastWJB-6.jpg" /> <img width="6000" height="4000" width_o="6000" height_o="4000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/73edc00132590ef8ec41014a6b5508376767123a38eadc8f4bb075984618eb0d/belfastWJB-1.jpg" data-mid="145449999" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/73edc00132590ef8ec41014a6b5508376767123a38eadc8f4bb075984618eb0d/belfastWJB-1.jpg" /> <img width="6000" height="4000" width_o="6000" height_o="4000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1efcaf744d40b9280d5a29398f3470463f0ff3b3ec70a37a8df6ebc682374b76/belfastWJB-2.jpg" data-mid="145450001" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1efcaf744d40b9280d5a29398f3470463f0ff3b3ec70a37a8df6ebc682374b76/belfastWJB-2.jpg" /> <img width="6000" height="4000" width_o="6000" height_o="4000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/27d1b121c27d8a8be3ad9b83151850fbb31c2e3f0237f6e28a95a86a338bfa8c/belfastWJB-3.jpg" data-mid="145450006" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/27d1b121c27d8a8be3ad9b83151850fbb31c2e3f0237f6e28a95a86a338bfa8c/belfastWJB-3.jpg" /> <img width="6000" height="4000" width_o="6000" height_o="4000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/69a4782467ae1d445f52c80b3b39a3b143094ce8294a8c2e2dc886ac5246eeb5/belfastWJB-4.jpg" data-mid="145450009" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/69a4782467ae1d445f52c80b3b39a3b143094ce8294a8c2e2dc886ac5246eeb5/belfastWJB-4.jpg" /> <img width="6000" height="4000" width_o="6000" height_o="4000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0e7e5cd87d6cedf687858539dfe28265fd23822e575e1c238817564e47f22b13/tapestryWJB-14.jpg" data-mid="145583380" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0e7e5cd87d6cedf687858539dfe28265fd23822e575e1c238817564e47f22b13/tapestryWJB-14.jpg" /> Inscriptions, 2022 Etched zinc platesVarious Dimensions: from 2x2cm to A2 Each zinc plate has been used as an antenna, to record information, exclusive to its resonant frequencies. The resonant frequency is denoted by, and unique to, the definitions of the plate; the material, weight, size, composition. These recordings of Radio transmission vary from intentional - this could be broadcast stations or amateur communications - to unintentional spurious emissions of RF, such as locally oscillating circuits, but most crucially they all involve the provocation of electromagnetic energy. Each piece of recorded information is bound to the plate that was used to receive it. A literal moment in time in which the recording was taken; a specific intermingling of time, electromagnetism, and human agency (receiving or transmitting) The digital recording taken was then inscribed back into the plate, leaving an impression; thus turning the machined zinc plate from an industrial material to an RF artefact. Not only does each antenna (plate) offer a conduit into the electromagnetic spectrum, the medium of the computational (software) also offers a visual interface in which to present such a phenomena. https://williamjohnbrooks.com/Cellular-Impressions Thu, 02 Jun 2022 18:41:18 +0000 William John Brooks https://williamjohnbrooks.com/Cellular-Impressions Cellular Impressions <img width="8334" height="12500" width_o="8334" height_o="12500" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d77119307ea3098ab4ae12037718c09d9478bb5171229a6101ee20dd67243cd8/1-Object-of-Science_Cellular_Impressions.png" data-mid="145430416" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d77119307ea3098ab4ae12037718c09d9478bb5171229a6101ee20dd67243cd8/1-Object-of-Science_Cellular_Impressions.png" /> <img width="8334" height="12500" width_o="8334" height_o="12500" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f1bea09fe46e4b4398411966724c5336c1b2ddb7ebdc7f6598c951d709fdd8da/2-Object-of-Science_Cellular_Impressions.png" data-mid="145430415" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f1bea09fe46e4b4398411966724c5336c1b2ddb7ebdc7f6598c951d709fdd8da/2-Object-of-Science_Cellular_Impressions.png" /> <img width="8334" height="12500" width_o="8334" height_o="12500" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cd17e790168d3cb4bd1809bb2e2d2b41aeba8c1c97e2fb61cc36be6bdbe71330/3-Object-of-Science_Cellular_Impressions.png" data-mid="145430420" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cd17e790168d3cb4bd1809bb2e2d2b41aeba8c1c97e2fb61cc36be6bdbe71330/3-Object-of-Science_Cellular_Impressions.png" /> Cellular Impressions, 2020Digital Image Series A visualisation of cellular transmission from a mobile phone. Despite the abstract and formalised image of these Ultra-High-Frequency exchanges, each mark represents bits of information that construct the habits, interests, and interactions of the user, thus serving as digital footprint. https://williamjohnbrooks.com/Contact-Drawings Thu, 09 Jun 2022 12:50:06 +0000 William John Brooks https://williamjohnbrooks.com/Contact-Drawings Contact Drawings <img width="1368" height="1368" width_o="1368" height_o="1368" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e3e9e4a71e20f9ecb1f0517452a82e96824ed4ba5a9b3d2aaae6d2340ff2168f/WilliamBrooks01.jpg" data-mid="144993057" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e3e9e4a71e20f9ecb1f0517452a82e96824ed4ba5a9b3d2aaae6d2340ff2168f/WilliamBrooks01.jpg" /> <img width="1368" height="1368" width_o="1368" height_o="1368" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2c5879aea01f04b6af27a8d8008235a431fb9c5eaab31acb7ab60a5958734ac0/WilliamBrooks04.jpg" data-mid="145045537" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2c5879aea01f04b6af27a8d8008235a431fb9c5eaab31acb7ab60a5958734ac0/WilliamBrooks04.jpg" /> <img width="1368" height="1368" width_o="1368" height_o="1368" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f58b6521abe3d10e140a55071be0f0255a9184dbbe6ced95ed5773bf05ef3fe3/WilliamBrooks03.jpg" data-mid="145045536" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f58b6521abe3d10e140a55071be0f0255a9184dbbe6ced95ed5773bf05ef3fe3/WilliamBrooks03.jpg" /> <img width="1368" height="1368" width_o="1368" height_o="1368" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/94fce037a389a0efa94130405cfe0fb34a77f375482015640d3553c890955394/WilliamBrooks02.jpg" data-mid="145045535" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/94fce037a389a0efa94130405cfe0fb34a77f375482015640d3553c890955394/WilliamBrooks02.jpg" /> Contact Drawings, 2021 Media: Digital Image Contact Drawings is an ongoing project culminating of&nbsp; real-time global contact recordings. Created during lockdown, when communication was almost exclusively through digital devices, I began to explore many of the telematic architectures we as humans employ to communicate globally. &nbsp; Looking at ‘Dxing’, the amateur transmission of non-commercial messages globally to make two-way radio contact with distant agents, I was able to transcribe real-time data of these global exchanges as they happen in the world.&nbsp; Substituting a global geographical map for a white background, each thread made emphasises not where they occurred in the world but rather on the shifting compositions themselves. These contemporary drawings, although digital, concern physcial interaction; as they instigated by globe agents collaborating in the physical world. Each line, begins and ends with a human on an international level, irrespective of their nationality or cultural identity; ultimately, and unknowingly, informing the shifting composition through their interaction.