On Tue, 19 Mar 2002 11:52:27 -0500, Kevin McHugh <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
>Slavica,
>
>The .wav festival sounds interesting. I think that public sites for sound
>works are not only a valuable contribution to opportunities for artists,
but
>they represent an important step for public art.
>
>Sorry for bringing up another abstract issue, but I wonder what people
think
>about harmonic/musical issues in acoustic (non-headphone) installations.
>Many sound artists are focusing on environmental sounds. Not that harmony
is
>losing its place, but where (if any) is the boundary between a harmonic
>installation and playing music?
>
>Maybe this is too abstract...
>
>best
>Kevin
>
>>
>> Kevin, I think you brought up a good point about the black box/white box
>> model for displaying sound art.
>>
>> In thinking about space and scale, I just wanted to mention the upcoming
>> .wav festival.
Dear Kevin and List,
I was interested in your comment about sound art in acoustic spaces, and it
made me consider the effect of sound art using public/existing sound
spaces, such as Ed Osborn's 'Vanishing Point' installation at the Berkely
Art Museum (2001) which sent recorded tones to the Museum's big picture
windows and caused them to resonate.
As someone who admittedly knows little about sound technology,
such environmental or site-specific pieces tend to be the ones which strike
and engage me, and maybe I feel less uncomfortable standing around in a
public/social space than I do in the middle of a bare room. For
me, 'harmony' suggests more of a 'sit-down and listen' experience, the
harmony being something which sustains a narrative form over extended time,
whereas the environmental sounds suggest a located, 'pass-through'
experience common to museums and galleries, or maybe even 'ambient'
(although that does unfortunately make me think of squashy furniture and
chilling groovers!)
Maybe the List could tell me of some good examples of harmony in 'non sit
down and listen' contexts?
yours,
Beryl
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