words by Patty Riek
photos by Jon Bauer

Friday, September 13, 2024, Age of Reflections brought ambient music icon William Basinski to Grace Cathedral. Creating new art from the decay of old art Basinski’s The Disintegration Loops draws audiences into musings on how the past informs the present and the fleeting nature of life and the permanence of art. Eric Epstein paired light textures suggesting the natural world – water, wind, fire – gently intersecting the digital world with a pixelated overlay of the sanctuary.

Making his US debut, Flore Laurentienne, intertwines electronic tones with strings. Refracting his personal experiences living in a remote location, Laurentienne’s work soars and swoops delving into the full range of human emotion.

Age of Reflections describes themselves as “ A space to dream – Collective offerings of sound, light & architecture.” Founders Bob Maynard and Brandon Shotwell exceeded their mission Friday. Basinski’s and Laurentienne’s sonic offerings, Epstein’s —- light paintings and Grace Cathedral all overlap, fuse, coalesce with the audience’s own inner musings for the show before releasing us into the foggy San Francisco night – almost an extension of the show itself.

William Basinski

Flore Laurentienne