In this episode David Humphrey interviews artist John Kessler, whose innovative works have captivated audiences since the 1980s. After his exhibition at The Drawing Center, Kessler shares how the Grateful Dead shaped his early musical experiences as he formed a jam band called Shrek Noi, inspired by the band's improvisational style. He discusses the significance of dub music in his 1983 exhibition, highlighting Linton Kwesi Johnson's work, and the ambient sounds of composers like Brian Eno and Philip Glass that informed his mechanical art pieces. Kessler also touches on the impact of world music and sampling, particularly through David Byrne's My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, illustrating how these musical elements have intertwined with his creative process over the decades. 

Jon Kessler (b. 1957, New York) builds chaotic kinetic installations to critique our image-obsessed, surveillance-dominated world. 

Image: I’m Nothing Without You, 2012. Courtesy of Jon Kessler.