A complete list of my sound installations in galleries, museums, and public places.
splintered
2019. 8 channels of audio with text by poet Shin Yu Pai. Sound was derived from items found in Bitters Co.’s inventory and Shin Yu reading her poem written on site (also presented visually as metal type hammered into reclaimed wood). Bitters Co. barn, Mt. Vernon, WA (June 1 - 29, 2019). VIDEO
WAIS Reliquary: 68,000 Years
2016. 8 channels of audio for an installation by visual artist Anna McKee. Sound was derived from playing the thousands of glass ampules used in the piece. Nevada Museum of Art Center for Art + Environment, Reno, NV (May 28 - Sep. 18, 2016); presented in Water Line at Center for Visual Art, Metropolitan State University, Denver, CO (Aug. 4 - Oct. 21, 2017); University of New Hampshire Museum of Art, Durham NH (Jan. 25 - Mar. 31, 2018) LISTEN | VIDEO
Mt. Waddington Reliquary
2013. 8 channels of audio for an installation by visual artist Anna McKee. Sound was individual drips of melting ice recorded in a crevasse at Easton Glacier on Mt. Baker. Francine Seders Gallery, Seattle, WA (Oct. 11 - Nov. 2, 2013); presented in Accreted Terrane, curated by David Francis at Museum of Northwest Art, La Conner, WA (Oct. 14, 2014 - Jan. 4, 2015) VIDEO
4ever was here
2013. 12-channel audio in an old WPA-era Boy Scout cabin. Decades of graffiti etched into the cabin's interior wooden surfaces are a recorded history of presence left by generations of campers. These messages were traced with an amplified pencil and read in hushed voices, set amidst a soundscape of bird song, and heard through speakers hidden throughout the cabin. Presented in Arts in Nature Festival at Camp Long, Seattle, WA (Aug. 10 - 11, 2013).
Uprising
2012. Collaboration with artist Rick Araluce. 10-channel audio, plastic, wood, foam, paint. A chaotic jumble of plumbing appears to be ancient, corroded cast iron pipes which are in reality fashioned from PVC pipes treated as trompe l'oeil. The open ends of some pipes emit abstract sounds derived from field recordings made in the empty gallery. Suyama Space, Seattle, WA (Jan. 20 - Apr. 13, 2012). LISTEN | VIDEO | REVIEW | REVIEW
Index Filicum
2011. 4-channel audio. Four voices (Jeremiah Cawley, Amy Denio, Katherine Hanson, Maria Mannisto) sing the Latin names of nearly all of the species in the conservatory's Fern Room and whisper their common English names over drones derived from a field recording of the room. Presented by Experimental Sound Studio as part of their Florasonic series at Lincoln Park Conservatory, Chicago, IL (Sep. 18, 2011 - Jan. 31, 2012; Sep. 2014). LISTEN
hover
2011. Collaboration with artist Christine Wallers. 8-channel audio, monofilament and copper wire strung overhead, spanning the gallery and catching the available light. The sound was inspired by earwitness reports of the mysterious phenomenon of auroral sound associated with the Northern Lights. Audible Gallery at Experimental Sound Studio, Chicago, IL (Sep. 16 - Oct. 30, 2011). LISTEN
Lições dos Antepassados
2011 (rev. 2013). 4.1-channel sound installation. Environmental sounds, bells, spoken names of the region's human ancestors and the common names of local flora and fauna, and their sung Latin names. Created during a Binaural Artist Residency, presented in the Capella de Nossa Sra. de Conceição, Nodar, Portugal (Jul. 2011); revised 8-channel version at Jack Straw New Media Gallery, Seattle, WA (Sep. 20 - Nov. 8, 2013). LISTEN | REVIEW
Northern Light (Chamber Music 9)
2011. 10-channel audio derived from a one-hour recording of the empty gallery. Inspired by the mysterious phenomenon of auroral sound associated with the Northern Lights and dedicated to the German sound artist and maker of "small music" Rolf Julius, who died while I was working on this. The space was shared with works by visual artist Jasmine Valandani. Anchor Art Space, Anacortes, WA (Mar. 4 - 27, 2011). LISTEN
Particles/Waves (Chamber Music 8)
2010. 16-channel audio. One hour of room tone was recorded using sixteen different microphones placed around the empty gallery. A single frequency extracted from each track is heard in each of the corresponding speakers placed all around the room. Jack Straw New Media Gallery, Seattle, WA (Sep. 10 - Nov. 19, 2010). LISTEN
Solar Ring (Chamber Music 7)
2010. 12-channel audio. A circle of small speakers, each assigned a different tone derived from a recording of the empty gallery, with the listener situated in the center on a classic chrome wire chair designed by Harry Bertoia. Presented in Sound in Space, curated by Scott Sherk at Martin Art Gallery, Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA (Mar. 22 - Apr. 17, 2010). LISTEN
The Very Rich Hours
2009. 8-channel audio, five wooden benches (constructed by Mark Middleton). Environmental sounds, spontaneous spoken descriptions of New Mexico landscapes by ten people, four voices singing the Latin names of endangered species. Presented in SiteWorks, curated by Kathleen Shields for Land/Art, organized by 516 Arts. Old San Ysidro Church, Corrales, NM (Aug. 27 - 30 & Sep. 4 - 7, 2009). LISTEN
Two Ways of Listening to Nothing (Chamber Music 6)
2009. Collaboration with René Barge. 4-channel audio. A recording made in the museum's empty freight elevator was used by each of us to create two individual stereo works heard simultaneously in the elevator. Presented in SOUND, curated by Gustavo Matamoros as part of the Subtropics Festival at Bass Museum, Miami, FL (Feb. 26 - Mar. 29, 2009). LISTEN | VIDEO
Stained Glass (Chamber Music 5)
2008. 6-channel audio derived from an one-hour recording of the empty chapel. Made for Ashes to Ashes, a group show consisting of twenty life-size coffins made of biodegradable materials, suspended from the 28-foot ceiling, curated by Mary Welch. Good Shepherd Center Chapel, Seattle, WA (Nov. 1 - 15, 2008). LISTEN | REVIEW | REVIEW
Magic Box
2008. Stereo audio of assorted works made for radio, presented as part of the Bellingham Electronic Arts Festival (BEAF) in a recreated antique radio parlor at American Museum of Radio & Electricity (now SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention), Bellingham, WA (Apr. 24 - 26, 2008). LISTEN
Filtered Light (Chamber Music 4)
2008. 4-channels of audio derived from a one-hour recording of the empty gallery, presented as part of the annual John Donald Robb Composers' Symposium. University of New Mexico Art Museum, Studio Gallery, Albuquerque, NM (Mar. 28 - May 11, 2008). LISTEN
Silent Room (Chamber Music 3)
2007. 4-channel audio derived from a one-hour recording made in the Silent Room, a glass-walled room designated as a quiet study area within our neighborhood branch library. Played continuously during business hours. Presented during the annual Greenwood Art Walk at the Seattle Public Library, Seattle, WA (May 11 - 12, 2007).LISTEN
Atrium (Chamber Music 2)
2007. 4-channel audio, derived from a recording of the empty Atrium Sound Space, curated by Steven M. Miller in the Contemporary Music Program building at the College of Santa Fe, Santa Fe, NM (Mar. 16 - Apr. 26, 2007; Oct. 1 - 26, 2012). LISTEN
first light, last
2006. Collaboration with visual artist Christine Wallers. 6-channel audio, projected video. A meditation on the cusps of darkness and light, sound and silence. The video is a montage of still photographs of cloudless sky, taken in the moments just before darkness and dawn. The sound is derived from a 40-minute field recording made on the beach at Kalaloch, WA as night fell. Portland Art Center, Portland, OR (Dec. 7 - 23, 2006). LISTEN
Correspondence
2005. Collaboration with René Barge. Stereo audio, wood table and bench. Domestic sounds: René recorded things and moments around his home that held meaning and memory; I used drones derived from a recording made in my empty house before moving in. René sent me his material, I added mine and sent it back; he built the listening table and bench. Presented in Boomerang, curated by Nikki Beem at the Light Box Gallery at Miami Light Project, Miami, FL (Nov. 30 - Dec. 3, 2005). LISTEN
Morning Ragas
2005. Stereo audio on personal CD players. All source material recorded during one weekend in Webster's Woods, a five-acre outdoor sculpture park. The work was intended to be heard on headphones while wandering the trails in the woods, playing at low volume so as to mix amiably with the live, real-time sounds. Presented in Art Outside #6, curated by Jake Seniuk at Port Angeles Fine Arts Center, Port. Angeles, WA (Jun. 18, 2005). LISTEN
Center of Gravity
2004. 2.1 audio for a "graphite room" by visual artist Susan York. Walls and floor coated with neutral paint base infused with powdered graphite; solid graphite blocks, stacked porcelain shards; wooden viewing platform. All sound made of my own breath with real-time electronic processing, each breath treated as a miniature composition, separated by silence (5 hours total). Presented in Implicit Plasticity, curated by Dubhe Carreño at Betty Rymer Gallery, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL (Oct. 8 - Nov. 19, 2004). LISTEN
Window Seat
2004. Stereo audio on headphones. Four participants sat in a closet-like space with a full-length window looking out on the main entry to the building, describing in detail what they saw through the window. Visitors sat and listened to a mix of the recorded voices, ambient sounds recorded outside the window, and live sound from a wireless mic hidden outside. Presented in Transmit + Transform, curated by Diane Karp at Santa Fe Art Institute, Santa Fe, NM (Jul. 2 - Aug. 13, 2004). LISTEN
Mountains Hidden in Mountains
2004. Stereo audio. Technical assistance: Michael Schippling. A bell was hung inside a faux bell tower; when rung, it triggered a recording that faded in imperceptibly as the bell tone decayed, creating the illusion of an endless tone. Layers of pitch-shifted bell tones slowly emerged and evaporated into silence. Presented in Transmit + Transform, curated by Diane Karp at Santa Fe Art Institute, Santa Fe, NM (Jul. 2 - Aug. 13, 2004). LISTEN
Luminous Bodies on Galileo's Inclined Plane
2003. 8-channel audio, steel, wood, plexiglass, projected video. Environmental and electronic sound for installation by artist/architect Reggie Stump. A poetic study for a living space to be shared by two people with very different mobility needs: one with cerebral palsy, one without. Two corridors leading to video of the bodies in question traversing the building site, rendered as constellations. AC2 Gallery, Albuquerque, NM (Oct. 4 - Nov. 2, 2003).
delicate abrasions
2003. 12 channel audio, 6 listening benches made of steel and stone. All sounds derived from tactile interaction with the interior surfaces and materials of the building: nails, dust and grit, sliding door, concrete, metal, glass, and wood. The site was once a small warehouse area for a neighborhood grocery, later used as a project space. Shack Obscura at Klaudia Marr Gallery, Santa Fe, NM (Jun. 6 - Jul. 19, 2003). LISTEN
Alchemy
2000. Collaboration with artist Christine Wallers. 20-channel audio derived from 32 voices whispering 300+ written responses to our invitation to imagine change in the world. Voices heard through transducers affixed to 12 brass bowls on suspended steel plates, and through 8 speakers around the church. Old San Ysidro Church, Corrales, NM (Sep. 22 - Oct. 1, 2000); Nicolaysen Art Museum, Casper, WY (Jan. 17 - May 31, 2003); CoCA, Seattle, WA (Aug. 30 - Oct. 9); Portland Art Center, Portland, OR (Mar. 1 - 30, 2007).
Confluences
2000. 6-channel audio heard in various locations throughout the exhibit, each one playing a recording of a different confluence of the Rio Grande with one of its tributary streams, part of a series gathered in the summer of 1999 during a field trip from Albuquerque to the source of the Rio Grande in Colorado. Presented in juried exhibition Water (received Award of Merit) at Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM (Aug. 18 - Sept. 24, 2000).
Celebrating Nature: the Landscape Underground
2000 - Present (currently non-functional). Collaboration with artist Barbara Grothus. 10-channel audio, neon light. Permanent installation in a pedestrian tunnel going from the Albuquerque Convention Center to an underground parking lot. Neon is based on abstract line drawings of natural forms. Environmental sound throughout the tunnel, five distinct zones corresponding to different times of day. Commissioned by City of Albuquerque Public Art Program, Albuquerque, NM.
Here-ings: a sonic geohistory
1999-2002. Stone, steel. 24 benches with texts evoking 24 hours recorded over one year, placed permanently onrecording sites at various locations on the 40-acre site. THE LAND/an art site, Mountainair, NM (Oct. 3 - 24, 1999; Oct. 6, 2002 - Present); Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM (Dec. 14, 2001 - Apr. 21, 2002); 516 Arts, Albuquerque, NM (Jul. 12 - Aug. 10, 2002); Rubin Center Gallery, Univ. of Texas, El Paso, TX (Jun. 5 - Aug. 28, 2003); Sun Valley Center for the Arts, Sun Valley, ID (Mar. 19 - May 14, 2004); Dorsch Gallery, Miami, FL (Mar. 27 - Apr. 28, 2004); Saranac Art Projects, Spokane, WA (Sep. 7 - Oct. 27, 2007). LISTEN
Sight Specifics: Diablo Canyon
1991 (rev. 1994). Stereo audio. Spoken text by David Dunn describing his experience in the canyon, environmental sounds, gathered at the site, electronic processing. First piece in the Sight Specifics series radio art series. Presented in Sound, curated by Steve Roden at Refusalon Gallery, San Francisco, CA (Dec. 1998); Second Site at 516 Arts, Albuquerque, NM (Aug. 1 - Sep. 19, 2009). LISTEN
Emanations
Collaboration with artist Claire Giovanniello. 4-channel audio, three-dimensional white paintings covered with gauze, wall sculptures made of roofing nails and aluminum rods. Sound made from electronic feedback recorded in the gallery. Nonsequitur Music Gallery, Albuquerque, NM (Feb. 16 - Apr. 12, 1996); Brooklyn College Art Gallery, Brooklyn, NY (May 5 - Jun. 2, 1998); Harwood Art Center, Albuquerque, NM (July 1998; Aug. 2001). LISTEN