JONESBORO – Visiting artist Josh Azzarella will give a talk in the Fine Arts Center Gallery Thursday, March 1, at 3 p.m.  An exhibition of his work has been on display in the gallery (GPS: 2412 Quapaw Way) since early February.

The Department of Art and Design invites the public to hear Azzarella discuss how he uses the data of familiar films to create new and unfamiliar images and sound.  This transformation by algorithm is meant to reveal a new meaning or understanding of the original.

Similar to the apocryphal playing back of the Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields” to reveal a hidden message, the works search for a new meaning in the reinterpretation of a data set through algorithmic manipulation.

Azzarella’s visit comes during “Art Immersion” week in the department, where almost 100 prospective students will sit in on classes, interact with art faculty and alumni, and have lunch with current students in the Reng Student Union.