2 wood/fiberglass structures, amplifiers, speakers, CD player and recording,
vegetable glycerine, water, titanium dioxide and dye
each 19 h x 40 w x 40 inches
2001
In this piece, I have constructed two identical structures, each containing a sub-woofer speaker submerged beneath an opaque dyed liquid
(vegetable glycerine/water solution w/paint pigment). A recording of sub-audible sound is played through each of these submerged speakers at a
high volume (remaining silent), resulting in the formation of resonance patterns in the water. The room is darkened and lit by two small spotlights,
each focused from a relatively sharp angle onto the surface of the water. These conditions cause the patterns of the surface of the water to be
reflected onto the walls of the gallery. The reflections magnify the movement of the water, creating a situation where the patterns of the water
movement become visible on the wall when the surface of the water appears to be absolutely still, creating a preview of what will be visible on the
surface as the resonance builds.
I am interested in the perception of sound, expanded beyond the aural experience. In this case a silent (as perceived by our aural capabilities)
sound is seen, and this experience of sight is as much a perception of sound. It is also a presentation of sound contrary to the usual relationship
between sound and vision, where a sound is typically in the ownership of an object (e.g. a dog’s bark) or the result of a action (the sound of a train
passing.) Here this situation is reversed, as the visual is the result of the (unheard) aural.