“Harmonic Chorus” / “Canopy”
Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, June - August 2018

“Harmonic Chorus”

Tape recorders, stereo analog asynchronous tape loops
Speakers and plexiglass discs
Duration: endless

“Canopy”

9 channel digital sound, speakers and subwoofer.
Duration: 42 minute loop.

The two overlapping sound pieces, “Canopy” and “Harmonic Chorus” created a sonic environment for viewing the show. Canopy exists as a nine channel audio installation running as a forty-two minute loop. This immersive environment would change based on where in the space the listener would travel. Seakers were placed in the ceiling and running down the metal support columns as well as an eighteen inch subwoofer which was hidden behind walls creating many desecrate sound spaces to experience. Broad indistinct sounds coming from ceiling mounted speakers and more discrete sounds coming from an elevation closer to the listeners ears. Low frequency sounds often being heard and felt while the source remained hidden. Much like what we experience when walking in an outdoor urban environment.
”Harmonic Chorus” exists as sound as well as a sculptural element. Two reel to reel analog tape recorders placed near the floor with their tape unspooled, reach to the ceiling in straight, taught lines creating peaks and valleys. The valley of each tape recorder's loop cradles a spindle which spins as the machine plays. On these tape loops are nearly identical recordings alternating between clusters of guitar harmonics and the sounds of soft shuffling movements made by the artist as they await the next series of harmonics. The sound from these recordings are projected from speakers suspended from thin metal rods. The image that is created against a wall is that of circles and lines held in space as the machines below continue to move forward.

These two works were part of “The Snake” curated by Kristan Kennedy, a group show at PICA featuring the work of DB Amorin, Judy Cooke, Jessica Diamond (NY), Marcus Fischer, keyon gaskin, Daniel, Godinez Nivón (Mexico), Kameelah Janan Rasheed (NY).