Assessment 3: Sound and Ambience
Peta-Maree Ayoub 3301013
Artist/practitioner: Olafur Eliasson
Olafur Eliasson is a Danish-Icelandic artist who is known for his sculptures and large art installations. The large-scale art installations use elemental materials such as water, light and air temperature to accentuate the viewer's experience. Eliasson (2008) states that the connection between time and vibrations creates a perspective, a construction, from which an alternative spatial conception springs. He continues to explain how time is not just based on the universal definition, but through our own experiences and perceptions. Eliasson (2008) explains that our memories and expectations also have a highly individual impact on our perception.
Eliasson uses a drawing machine which he had constructed himself. There are two rods which oscillate to form a pattern, using spatial vibrations. This is the method in which I have chosen to express the sounds of the city in a drawing. Taking a new approach with the inspiration from Eliasson’s method, I decided to create a simple machine using speakers and elastic to create my own seismometer for sound vibrations. The vibrations from the speaker travel through the string, controlling the movement of the drawing instrument. Using Eliasson’s theme of nature and surrounding environments, I have chosen to record sound from the outside environment especially the sounds of what appears to be invisible forces. This is seen in Eliasson’s spatial vibration drawings, he also uses a mechanical turning table to create a spiral effect in his drawings. The use of a turning table emphasises the progression of the recording, illustrating the change in volume and tone.
The method of spatial vibrations to record sounds allows people to experience their surroundings on a whole new level. This helps express the invisible forces through vibrations and visible movements. This can also be seen in my drawing of the sounds of the city. I used a speaker to emphasise the vibrations with the bass on full volume. I attached elastic to the drum of the speaker and the end of a skewer with a strip of felt on the other end and used different colours in the drawing. Although Eliasson used only one colour, I have decided to use different colours to represent a different aspect or sound that has been recorded between 12pm and 1pm on a Friday. I had chosen this specific time as the speed of the wind was measured to be SW 38km/h. This time was also somewhat busy as people were out for lunch, however the lunch crowd was just starting therefore it was not exceedingly busy.
Spatial vibration: string-based instrument, study II, 2008
This image of Eliasson's mechanical method of drawing the vibrations depicts the two intercepting rods which are creating a spiral drawing of the vibrations. The canvas is turned by a mechanical turning table, allowing for a pattern to occur throughout the progress of the drawing. The length of the spiral and the 'scribbles' create a sense of emptiness and quietness. The smaller the drawing, the lower the vibrations of the recorded sound.
This image reveals the controlling of the vibrations through the use of string instruments. Certain strings cause a different vibration, as they are all different notes, which create various wavelengths and sketches on the canvas. The notes and tune created by the instrument, which is controlled by the artist, develops and ambience that is solely based on the way the artist composes the piece of music.
This image depicts the analysis of the machine and the drawing. The artwork is criticised based on its spacing, the line weight and the height of the wavelengths recorded. This is to make sure there is a consistency throughout the artwork and to monitor the different wavelengths created by different instruments. Each instrument has its own mood and ambience which it expresses through sound and the drawings.
This is my first attempt in using Eliasson's method of spatial vibrations. I created my own structure using a bass speaker and elastic. The depiction of one of the vibrations included in the recording was a trial to make sure everything was at the correct level.
This is a process update on how the drawing was made. The different colours represented different sounds in the recording. The drawing instrument was just touching the canvas to allow movement from the vibrations to control the direction of the drawing.
This is the final piece which illustrates the spatial vibrations depicting the sounds of the city. The green paint represents the strong gust of wind which is placed twice in the recording to exaggerate the difference between the consistent breeze of the wind, and the short powerful gust of wind. The red represents the running water which can be heard very sparsely in the recording which was taken from the Darling Quarter water fountain. The gold represents the change of air pressure when near an oncoming car. The black represents the consistent sound of wind recorded on the Goods Line near the UTS DAB building. When placed together, these recordings are the sounds of the city.
Reference List:
Eliasson, O. 2008, Olafur Eliasson, Walther König, New York.
Eliasson, O. 2008, 'Reviews: New York', ARTnews New York, June 2008, issue 6.
Eliasson, O. 2008, Your engagement has consequences: on the relativity of your reality, Lars Müller Publishers, Switzerland.
