courtesy of Brian Eno

Brian Eno, who is best known for his experimental music that transcends the boundaries between art and music, has figured a way to incorporate the two in his latest installation “77 Million Paintings,” which will make its North American debut at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. With his roots in the glam scene of the ’70s as the keyboard player in Roxy Music, Eno found his true sonic vision with his electrifying solo albums like the decadent pop of Here Come the Warm Jets, the genre-defying Before and After Science and the atmospherically cerebral Music for Airports. It’s this ambient aural aesthetic, exemplified in Music for Airports, where Eno practiced what is called “generative music,” a method similar to improvisation in which the performer creates music with a starting point but with no preconceived direction in mind. This idea also informs “77 Million Paintings,” described by Eno as “visual music.” The paintings (which will be projected on a 45-foot wall) are an overlapping series of generative images and soundscapes, continuously morphing into each other. The installation is presented by the Long Now Foundation, a nonprofit that urges a “slower/better” way of thinking, which was co-founded by Eno himself. In true glam rock fashion, the exhibit is being held naughtily late from 8 p.m. till 2 a.m. for two nights only. Come and experience sound and vision, Eno style.



“77 Million Paintings” by Brian Eno
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts 701 Mission St, 415-978-2787
Friday, June 29, and Saturday, June 30, from 8 p.m. till 2 a.m. – general admission
Sunday, July 1 – Long Now Charter Members only