About a year ago we were all stuck inside, apart. It was strange and new and very challenging. As artists, and educators, we were reinventing our classes to a new normal. I wanted to produce an opportunity for my students to make art and share art with each other and the public. With help, I designed and built an outdoor sound art installation above an alley way in downtown Bellingham. My students collaborated on the soundtrack and for 2 months the sounds streamed out and surprised passersby with sounds from the landscape, spoken word, guitar riffs. Eventually the set up failed. It was a very rainy winter. But it was time to make something new for spring by then so we packed it off the roof and turned to the new. For me, it was an awakening. And I’m at it again!
In process, speaker housing #1 for new outdoor sound art install
Remastering my welding and plasma cutting tech. Getting better. Glad I bought the 12 gauge plate. Gives me more wiggle room on the joints. But my goddess! The grinding. Make it stop! It hurts! Doubled it up with ear plugs and headphones which helps a lot. Going back up on the roof tomorrow to get dims and design stands. The Director requested bluetooth enabled speakers. I abide but I am also skeptical. Testing today. Leaving the speakers on as I go into to cut. Do the speakers shut down after several hours? Will the bluetooth go out, in a storm? Certainly when the power goes out. Good thing is, this project is taking place here, at Western Washington University, so I can hop back on the roof to troubleshoot.
2 speakers! Double the fun!
I’ve also been working on sonifying my sculptures. Managed to turn some bronze and aluminum bits into a midi keyboard. Next, make a sampler instrument. And after that start devising a strategy to sonify data sets describing environmental change in forests of the Pacific Northwest.