Artists → Jon Vaughn

Radio No Type:
- Jon Vaughn

Biography

Jon Vaughn is a Saskatoon-based audio-visual artist, DJ, writer, events coordinator / programmer / curator, and student at the University of Saskatchewan, majoring in Art History.

His work often explores the politics of difference that emerge when clashing concepts or media together, and how this mixing transforms our perception and experience of our ‘known’, ‘everyday’ or ‘normal’ world and opens up gateways into new, unknown and/or sub-worlds. These interests are often emancipated through his collaborations with other artists. Carrie Gates, Max Haiven, David Turgeon (Camp), Aimé Dontigny, Constantine Katsiris (Scant Intone), Jeff Morton (Nuthre), Cindy Baker, Cal Crawford, Dermot Wilson, Nicolas Krapels (n.kra) & Maureen Bradley are among his current collaborators.

As an events coordinator, Vaughn works primarily in collaboration with Carrie Gates. Their most notable work as a coordinating/progamming team was at the Digidome Festival of Electronic Art, hosted by Saskatoon-based artist-run centre, Paved Art & New Media. The director and spearhead of the project was Ontario-based multi-media artist Dermot Wilson. The event brought together an wide array of talents, from Victoria to Halifax to London, England. Vaughn also was a solo and group performer (in a special Camp trio with David Turgeon and Aimé Dontigny) and collaborated with Winnipeg-based audio artist, duul_drv, creating video to be presented alongside his performance.

Vaughn has been active as a DJ since September, 2001. He has mixed at the Mendel Art Gallery, AKA Artist-Run Centre, Paved Art & New Media, Odeon Niteclub, gay & lesbian fundraiser parties, posh hairdresser/fashion/film-crowd house parties, outdoor raves such as the prestigous Connect festival for two consecutive years, and recently at the Intersect festival in Alberta.

Since 2002, he has directed and coordinated an mixed-up-media performance ensemble named Frillo, which utilizes traditional acoustic instruments, video mixing and projection, & various digital and analog electronics in an absurd and often potentially offensive manner. The current membership of Frillo consists of Dylan McKinnon (trumpet), Morgan Sorochuck (accordian), Carrie Gates (analog electronics), Jeff Morton (digital electronics), Cindy Baker (video mixing), Jon Busch (pre-performance video assemblage) & Vaughn himself, either screaming or dragging an acoustic guitar across the floor with his teeth. It is really just a big joke that is also really close to their hearts.

Recently, Vaughn was also a featured panelist and performer at Regina-based artist-run centre Common Weal’s Sound Symposium. Vaughn’s panel presentation was about ‘The Internet, Digital Music, and Online Labels.’ He hopes to speak on more panels and do lectures on arcane topics in the future.

The Internet has proven to be vital in Vaughn’s emerging career, and has given him the space to present some of his most challenging work, as well as access other like-minded eccentric artists, who are separated by large geographical distances, but brought together through the wires. His web-based audio projects can be found and downloaded at Nishi, Slapart, & No Type.

In October of 2003, Vaughn will release an actual CD with the Montréal-based label and collective, No Type. The disc will be released in conjuction with a live performance at the PRÉrien series of the Rien à voir festival. The CD is entitled Front and is the result of an intense three-year collaboration with Halifax-based activist and audio-visual artist Max Haiven. Front is undoubtably Vaughn’s (and Haiven’s) most experimental, challenging, complex and enjoyable work to date.