Public Art Review issue 22 - 2000 (spring/summer) by forecastpublicart

A P R O G R A M OF

FORECAST

PUBLIC

WORKS

HEARING

VOLUME I I

I S S U E 22

FOREWORD

Philip

Blackburn

WOULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED, HAVING GROWN UP NEAR THE KINGSTON LISLE BLOWING STONEâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;A

naturally f o r m e d r o c k t r u m p e t r e p u t e d l y used t o s u m m o n K i n g Alfred's troops f r o m t h e s u r r o u n d i n g B e r k s h i r e D o w n s â&#x20AC;&#x201D; t h a t s o u n d is so rarely f o u n d in p u b l i c art. A f t e r

all, this bizarre s t o n e was so magical, m y s t e r i o u s , f u n , a n d u n h y g i e n i c t o play Call m e aurally fixated, b u t I w e e p w h e n I see p l a y g r o u n d s w i t h o u t n o i s e m a k e r s o r w i t h s u p pressed sonic p o t e n t i a l , and I d o n o t hesitate to risk e m b a r r a s s m e n t testing t h e acoustics o f c a n y o n s a n d cathedrals. So it is w i t h s o m e zeal that this issue of Public Art Review seeks t o u n m u f f l e a bit of t h e history a n d r e e m e r g e n c e o f s o u n d i n g art, largely o v e r l o o k e d in o u r visually d o m i n a t e d culture. H i d d e n by o u r eyes. C o n c e r t music has b e c o m e relegated to t h e stage as m u c h as visual art has t o t h e galleries. P u b l i c art is b e g i n n i n g t o lead us o u t o f these g h e t t o e s a n d to reclaim b o t h o u r spaces a n d senses. As these articles a n d o u r s u p p l e m e n t a r y W e b site show, s o u n d m a g i c is an a n c i e n t practice f o u n d across t h e globe, f r o m a Mayan p y r a m i d that records t h e call o f t h e sacred quetzal bird (an e x t r a o r d i n a r y revelation discovered a n d e x p l o r e d by D a v i d L u b m a n w i t h B r e n d a Kiser), t o t h e acoustics o f cave art sites, a n d t h e m y s t e r y of b r o n z e bell casting. It is w i t h s o m e c h a g r i n that w e realize h o w o b v i o u s s o m e o f these c o n n e c t i o n s are a n d h o w l o n g w e have d e n i e d w h a t OLir ears have b e e n telling us. N o w a n e w g e n e r a t i o n of artists is r e d e f i n i n g t h e art o f h e a r i n g a n d using it t o b u i l d relationships b e t w e e n c o m m u n i t i e s a n d e n v i r o n m e n t s . R e n e van P e e r focuses o n t h a t m o s t publicly intrusive o f all i n s t r u m e n t s , t h e carillon, a n d h o w this D u t c h a n d Flemish p h e n o m e n o n has evolved. Artist M a x N e u h a u s , in c o n v e r s a t i o n w i t h U l r i c h L o o c k , reveals his i m p e t u s b e h i n d t h e subliminal p r e s e n c e o f his w o r k s , as e x e m plified by an installation h i d d e n b e n e a t h a g r a t i n g in T i m e s Square. Issues of m e a n i n g , theory, a n d c o n t e x t are discussed in D a v i d Means's article o n D a n S e n n , w h o l u r e d fifteen h u n d r e d p e o p l e t o an a b a n d o n e d rural c a t a c o m b f o r a c o m m u n i t y - b a s e d s o u n d a n d v i d e o event. A n d f r o m t h e land o f t h e a b o r i g i n a l songlines, R o s B a n d t describes s o m e c o n t e m p o r a r y Australian s o u n d artists. M o r e so t h a n w i t h m a n y p r e v i o u s issues of Public Art Review,

Issue 22 is

filled w i t h w o r d s directly f r o m t h e artists' m o u t h s . T h i s is partly t o allow artists t o speak f o r themselves, a n d partly d u e t o t h e p a u c i t y o f critics a n d experts in t h e e m b r y o n i c field o f s o u n d art studies. Given t h e i n h e r e n t limitations o f p a p e r a n d i n k , w e are pleased to e n h a n c e this issue w i t h an extensive t h o u g h selective W e b site. Please p o i n t y o u r b r o w s e r t o w w w . f o r e c a s t a r t . o r g a n d c h e c k o u t t h e links t o b a c k g r o u n d i n f o r m a t i o n o n all t h e articles, additional artists a n d their projects, c y b e r sounds, a n d a c o p i o u s discography. P u b l i c sculptors a n d installation artists of all persuasions m a y r e s o n a t e w i t h m a n y o f these issues. It is to b e h o p e d that t h e field o f s o u n d i n g art will h e l p sensitize us all t o o u r shared acoustic ecology. As a v i b r a t i n g air enthusiast, I see this as o n e ( b a c k g r o u n d ) Kingston Lisle Blowing Stone, U.K., 1999. P h o t o by Jane Blackburn

way t o m a k e us m o r e responsible inhabitants of t h e planet. Philip Blackburn is a Twin Cities-based composer, author of Enclosures:

Harry

Partch,

ground. H e serves as program director of the American Composers Forum.

and is working on a sonic play-

PublicArtReview PUBLIC HEARING

features NOISE ABOUT TOWN

ANCIENT ECHOES

A CONVERSATION WITH

THE HISTORY OF CARILLONS

THE ORIGINS OF SOUND SCULPTURES

MAX NEUHAUS

David Lubman with

Ulrich Loock

R e n e van Peer

B r e n d a Kiser

SOUNDING SPACES, ACOUSTIC WORLD

AUSTRALIAN SOUND DESIGNS R o s Bandt

ZONE OF MAGNIFIED POWER SITE-SPECIFIC SOUND ART David Means

exhibition

reviews, surveys, and profiles

SOUNDING PLACES:

RECENT !SOUND ART IN JAPAN

W O R K S BY RON KUIVILA

Y o k o Hayashi

Benjamin Chadabe

HIRIYA IN THE MUSEUM Mira Engler

PUBLIC ART SCHOOL Suvan Geer

book reviews and project surveys BETWEEN DOG & WOLF

INVENTING OUR HERITAGE

MARKING THE MILLENNIUM

ESSAYS ON ART AND POLITICS IN THE

DESIGN BOOK R E V I E W

Z e r e n Earls

T W I L I G H T OF THE M I L L E N N I U M

B i o d u n Iginla

A n d r e a Weiss

R E C A S T

listings 42

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NOISE ABOUT TOWN THE HISTORY OF C A R I L L O N S

R e n e van Peer

T Âť

O HEAR THE SAME DITTY RATTLING EVERY H O U R BY DAY A N D BY N I G H T FOR

SEVERAL

m o n t h s o n e n d requires a t o l e r a n c e that can o n l y c o m e f r o m a total lack o f g o o d

taste." T h e English m u s i c i a n a n d h i s t o r i a n C h a r l e s B u r n e y , w h o traveled a r o u n d ta

E u r o p e in t h e early 1770s, was s c a t h i n g in his c o m m e n t s o n t h e a u t o m a t i c carillons h e e n c o u n t e r e d in A m s t e r d a m . H i s b i t t e r d e p r e c a t i o n was aggravated by t h e fact t h a t t h e clocks in t h e v a r i o u s t o w e r s o f t h e D u t c h capital activated t h e i r p l a y i n g m e c h a n i s m s every f i f t e e n m i n u t e s a n d w e r e n o t t o o well s y n c h r o n i z e d . In his travelogue, f r o m w h i c h t h e above q u o t e is taken, h e c o m p l a i n s that t h r o u g h o u t t h e day t h e r e is hardly five m i n utes respite f r o m these n o i s e m a k e r s f o r g r o w n - u p c h i l d r e n . For c e n t u r i e s carillons have b e e n an inevitable aspect o f t o w n s a n d cities in t h e lowlands o n t h e N o r t h Sea. T h e association b e t w e e n t h e t w o is so s t r o n g t h a t a carillon m e l o d y is o f t e n used in D u t c h films as a m a r k e r t h a t a given s c e n e is t a k i n g place in t h e c e n t e r of t o w n . For a n y o n e w h o g r e w u p in this r e g i o n t h e s o u n d o f swiftly casc a d i n g b r o n z e n o t e s c o n j u r e s u p an i m a g e o f h i s t o r i c D u t c h o r F l e m i s h u r b a n streets w i t h p i c t u r e s q u e h o u s e s . I r e m e m b e r s t a n d i n g o n t h e m e d i e v a l m a r k e t s q u a r e in t h e s o u t h e r n D u t c h t o w n o f ' s - H e r t o g e n b o s c h as a child, w a t c h i n g in a w e d a m a z e m e n t h o w u p in t h e t o w e r o f t h e city hall m e c h a n i c a l k n i g h t s p a r a d e d in a half-circle w h i l e t h e c a r illon played a d a i n t y m e l o d y . T h e c a r i l l o n is a r g u a b l y t h e o l d e s t p u b l i c i n s t r u m e n t i n E u r o p e . It evolved in t h e late M i d d l e Ages f r o m a special t e c h n i q u e o f tolling a set o f bells f o r signaling p u r p o s e s t h r o u g h ropes a t t a c h e d t o their t o n g u e s . T h e largest n u m b e r o f bells o n e acrobatically i n c l i n e d p e r s o n c o u l d play was f o u r . T h i s was t h e basis f o r a m e c h a n i s m t h a t w o u l d play a simple, o f t e n f o u r - t o n e m e l o d y j u s t b e f o r e t h e c l o c k s t r u c k t h e h o u r . H e n c e t h e t e r m quanegnon

( O l d F r e n c h f o r set o f f o u r ) f r o m w h i c h t h e carillon derives

its n a m e . In light o f t h e dual f u n c t i o n o f bells t o i n d i c a t e t i m e a n d give o u t signals (calli n g p e o p l e t o Mass a n d s o u n d i n g alarms) t h e i r p l a c e m e n t in c h u r c h t o w e r s was t h e o b v i ous choice. D e s p i t e a w i d e s p r e a d r e q u i s i t i o n i n g o f bells d u r i n g t h e N a p o l e o n i c Wars, an e m e r g e n t rift b e t w e e n h i g h a n d l o w art seriously d e n t e d t h e p o s i t i o n o f carillons i n city life. A D u t c h p u b l i c a t i o n o n c u r r e n t affairs f r o m 1801 d e e m e d these i n s t r u m e n t s a d e s i r a b l e f e a t u r e in a city, b e c a u s e " t h o s e p e o p l e w h o c a n ' t a f f o r d t o visit c o n c e r t s a n d w h o s e u n t r a i n e d h e a r i n g w o u l d p r o b a b l y b e astonished r a t h e r t h a n pleased

by c o n t e m p o r a r y c o m p l e x h a r m o n i e s , w o u l d b e c o n t e n t e d w i t h t h e m e d i o c r e , b u t i n e x pensive, m e l o d y o f a h a p p y ditty, a n d m i g h t f i n d t h e m s e l v e s s t i m u l a t e d t o sing it w h i l e they are w o r k i n g . T h e o n l y provision s h o u l d b e that an o b j e c t o f p u b l i c e n t e r t a i n m e n t , w h i c h as a m a t t e r o f c o u r s e c a n n o t always please e v e r y b o d y s h o u l d at least n o t b e o f f e n sive t o anybody, a n d s h o u l d n o t t h e r e f o r e spread a r o u n d t u n e s that are k n o w n t o b e associated w i t h c e r t a i n c o n c e p t s a n d passions, a n d that c o n s e q u e n t l y , w h i l e titillating o n e (left) Carillon bells, Jane K. Sather Tower, University of California, Berkeley. Photo by Saxon Donnelly

part of t h e p o p u l a c e , woLild a n n o y t h e rest." T h e h i g h e r classes m a i n t a i n e d this c o n d e s c e n d i n g a t t i t u d e t o w a r d p u b lic m u s i c a n d its p r o j e c t e d a u d i e n c e ( m o r e p r o n o u n c e d in t h e n o r t h e r n , Calvinist, half o f

P u b l i c Art R e v i e w . SPRING. SUMMER. 00

that t h e clappers o f t h e bass bells are larger a n d heavier, a n d t h e r e f o r e slower, t h a n t h o s e o f t h e high bells. T h i s results in t h e inevitable cascades of high t i n k l i n g notes. Like t h e p i a n o it is a k e y b o a r d i n s t r u m e n t , b u t a l t h o u g h y o u can play carillon music o n a piano, y o u can't easily d o it t h e o t h e r way a r o u n d . " Sjef D e n i j n was also involved in t h e c a r illon's

proliferation

across

the

United

States.

The

R o c k e f e l l e r s , o n t o u r in E u r o p e , w e r e so captivated by D e n i j n ' s art a n d t h e m i g h t y s o u n d of t h e bells, that they f u n d e d t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f a variety o f sets in their h o m e c o u n t r y . M o s t w e r e built o n university c a m p u s e s â&#x20AC;&#x201D; o p e n areas that are relatively q u i e t . T h e average A m e r i c a n c a r illon, says Van Wely, is larger t h a n its E u r o p e a n c o u n t e r p a r t . " T h e largest bell is h e a v i e r a n d t h e r e f o r e d e e p e r t h a n w h a t y o u ' l l f i n d in H o l l a n d o r B e l g i u m . T h a t is strictly a m a t t e r o f b e t t e r f u n d i n g . A c o u p l e o f those d e e p bells m i g h t cost as m u c h as t h e rest o f t h e set. T h e d i f f e r ences b e t w e e n A m e r i c a n a n d E u r o p e a n i n s t r u m e n t s are

(above) Thomas

Rees Memorial

Carillon,

reflected in t h e music. In t h e L o w Lands a carillon has t o

Washington Park, Springfield, III.

c o m p e t e w i t h street noise, so t h e r e is a t e n d e n c y t o play

Photo by Jim Hawker ( b e l o w ) Andrea Myklebust and Stanton Sears, The North Community

College

Carillon,

l o u d e r a n d faster. A m e r i c a n s w i l l t e n d t o p u t

Hennepin

emphasis o n t h e s o u n d quality."

Brooklyn Park, Minn., 1997.

Photo courtesy the artists

T h i s is c o n f i r m e d by G e e r t d ' H o l l a n d e r , w h o was t h e official player of t h e B e r k e l e y U n i v e r s i t y

t h e L o w Lands), a n d they m a d e it clear that they w e r e

carillon f o r t w o years a n d has n o w r e t u r n e d to A n t w e r p .

n o t particularly keen o n spending their m o n e y o n the

" A m e r i c a n s t h i n k that o u r way o f playing is t o o l o u d a n d

m a i n t e n a n c e o f t h e i n s t r u m e n t s . In t h e late n i n e t e e n t h

aggressive. W e like t o kick t h e i n s t r u m e n t . For us it can

c e n t u r y it was t h e Belgian Sjef D e n i j n w h o , almost sin-

b e difficult t o adapt t o t h e q u i e t s u r r o u n d i n g s o f their

g l e - h a n d e d l y , s t e m m e d t h e tide o f disregard a n d disrepair.

i n s t r u m e n t s . In t h e U.S.A. carillons are usually associated

H e i n t r o d u c e d a n e w v i r t u o s o p l a y i n g style a n d m a d e

w i t h t h e musical d e p a r t m e n t o f a university, so t h e r e are

n e w arrangements of popular operetta melodies. His per-

always assistants. Because t h e y are situated in m o r e o r less

f o r m a n c e s w e r e so well a t t e n d e d that extra trains w e r e

isolated areas, y o u can easily rehearse a n d study after 6

necessary

P.M. P e o p l e s e e m m o r e o p e n t o n e w music.

carry

the

audience

the

town

M e c h e l e n . H e r e , D e n i j n also f o u n d e d t h e first school f o r

"In A n t w e r p people do object to experi-

c a r i l l o n n e u r s . W i t h s o m e ups a n d d o w n s t h e bell set has

m e n t s . T h e y are a n n o y e d if their carillon d o e s s o m e t h i n g

r e m a i n e d p o p u l a r ever since. T h e dual quality o f t h e carillon, s t r a d dling t h e divide b e t w e e n h i g h a n d l o w culture, has p e r sisted i n t o t h e present as well. Generally, a c a r i l l o n n e u r s r e p e r t o i r e consists o f V a n der G h e y n ' s preludes, a r r a n g e d classical m u s i c pieces, a n d seasonal m e l o d i e s . T h e p e g g e d 06

c y l i n d e r playback d e v i c e m a y also i n c l u d e p o p t u n e s a n d t e a i j e r k e r s f i g u r i n g h i g h in t h e national charts. W h a t e v e r is played o n t h e carillon, t h e r e is always at least a h i n t o f cascading m e l o d i e s . T h a t is d u e t o t h e c h a r a c t e r o f t h e i n s t r u m e n t , says D u t c h c a r i l l o n n e u r B o b van Wely. "All t h e individual bells have a c e r tain a m o u n t o f decay, w h i c h gets s h o r t e r as y o u m o v e u p w a r d s in p i t c h . Also t h e l o w e r register bells are l o u d e r t h a n t h o s e in t h e h i g h register. C o n s e q u e n t l y y o u will play faster in t h e u p p e r register. T h i s is d u e to t h e fact

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING. SUMMER. 00

they d o n ' t e x p e c t . T h e tradition is a b u r d e n h e r e — p e o p l e w a n t to h e a r w h a t t h e y k n o w . W e d o t r y t o b r e a k n e w g r o u n d . E v e r y c a r i l l o n n e u r h e r e is w o r k i n g o n it. W e try special things, try t o m a k e it visually attractive. B u t it costs m o n e y , w h i c h is m o r e o f a p r o b l e m than in t h e U.S.A. T h e r e t h e carillon is s o m e t h i n g special, h e r e it is a c c e p t e d , taken f o r g r a n t e d . Y o u m a y w o n d e r w h y I r e t u r n e d . I h a d n o t c o u n t e d o n t h e sparsity o f c a r i l l o n s in t h e U . S . A . T h e r e are a b o u t as m a n y t h e r e as w e have here, b u t they are spread o u t over a far larger c o u n t r y . If in t h e s u m m e r I w a n t t o visit a colleague o f m i n e , I 'll j u m p in m y car a n d I ' m t h e r e in an h o u r o r t w o , at m o s t . In A m e r i c a I h a d t o travel f o r h o u r s , take a plane, to d o t h e same." B o b van W e l y e n j o y s p l a y i n g f o r his b r o a d a u d i e n c e . " I t d o e s give a f e e l i n g o f p o w e r , sitting t h e r e a n o n y m o u s l y high u p in a t o w e r a n d s t r e w i n g these s o u n d s over t h e t o w n . T h e r e ' s n o b o d y w h o c o u l d get y o u o u t o f y o u r cabin. B u t I d o play f o r t h e p e o p l e , a n d so I will m i x serious pieces w i t h p o p hits.This is a folk i n s t r u m e n t . Because o f its folksy r e p u t a t i o n it is n o t always easy t o p e r s u a d e c o m p o s e r s t o w r i t e f o r it. O n t h e o t h e r

Carillonist Mrs. Murdoch. Jane K. Sather Tower, University of California, Berkeley. Photo by Saxon Donnelly

h a n d , t h e y w o u l d reach a far larger a u d i e n c e t h a n they w o u l d w i t h any p i e c e w r i t t e n t o b e p e r f o r m e d in t h e

families in t h e h e a r t o f t h e city. T h e c o o l tinkle o f t h e

c o n c e r t hall."

bells s h o w e r e d In r e c e n t years a n u m b e r o f e x p e r i m e n -

tal w o r k s f o r carillon have b e e n w r i t t e n w h i c h b l u r t h e was p e r -

f o r m e d — s c o r e d f o r f o u r boatloads of t w e n t y - f i v e

on sunbathing picnickers

and

s o u n d art a f f i c i o n a d o s alike, m i n g l i n g w i t h t h e scent o f charcoal fires a n d roasting m e a t .

traditional distinctions b e t w e e n m u s i c a n d s o u n d i n g art. In 1 9 8 4 , H e n r y B r a n t ' s Fire on the Amstel

down

O t h e r r e c e n t a n d n o t a b l e carillon w o r k s i n c l u d e P a u l i n e Oliveros, The Space of Spirit: Unfolding

the

flutes

New Born Lotus (2000) f o r voices, o r g a n , a n d t h e carillon

e a c h , f o u r j a z z d r u m m e r s , f o u r c h u r c h carillons, t h r e e

at G r a c e C a t h e d r a l , San Francisco; J o h n C a g e , Music for

brass b a n d s , a n d f o u r street o r g a n s — i n a t h r e e - h o u r

Carillon, No. 1 (1952); C h a r l e s Ives, From the Steeples and

a q u a t i c p r o c e s s i o n t h r o u g h t h e canals in t h e c e n t e r o f

the Mountains

( 1 9 0 1 ) ; a n d M a r k A p p l e b a u m , Elegy

A m s t e r d a m . In a similar vein, t h o u g h r a t h e r m o r e m o d e s t

Keith Humble

in scale, are Nah und Fern (Near and Far), a r a d i o p h o n i c

C a l i f o r n i a , San D i e g o .

for

(1995) c o m m i s s i o n e d by t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f

p i e c e by M a u r i c i o Kagel, a n d Alarm by P e t e r Schat, b o t h

M o d e r n t i m e s are c a t c h i n g u p w i t h this

f r o m 1994. Kagel's w o r k is scored f o r carillon a n d t r u m -

old, p i c t u r e s q u e , b u t noisy c o n t r a p t i o n . T h e first c o m -

pets a l o n g w i t h m i x e d - i n b a c k g r o u n d noises f r o m traffic,

plaints have b e e n filed by p e o p l e w h o have m o v e d t o t h e

t h e playing m e c h a n i s m o f t h e bells, a n d t h e s o u n d o f t h e

centers o f s o m e D u t c h t o w n s a n d f o u n d that t h e t i m e -

player w a l k i n g u p t h e steps o f t h e t h r e e - h u n d r e d - f o o t -

k e e p i n g a u t o m a t o n s k e e p t h e m , like t h e y d i d C h a r l e s

high bell tower. Schat w r o t e Alarm f o r t h r e e A m s t e r d a m

B u r n e y , f r o m t h e i r sleep w i t h their m e r r y t u n e s . N o v e r -

carillons t o b e played in s y n c h r o n i z a t i o n . A n a u d i e n c e

dicts have yet b e e n r e t u r n e d .

s t a n d i n g o n a particular b r i d g e o n an early, a n d t h e r e f o r e

For more information

quiet, Sunday

morning

was

supposed

hear

on carillons visit

www.forecastart.org.

the

m e l o d i e s f r o m t h e t h r e e t o w e r s as an i n t e g r a t e d piece.

07 Rene van Peer is a Dutch writer on music and sound art.

T h i s i d e a l was o n l y a c h i e v e d o n r a d i o (and CD), f o r w h i c h c l o s e - u p recordings w e r e m i x e d t o g e t h e r .

Sources: A n d r e L e h r : V a n P a a r d e b e l tot S p e e l k l o k ( Z a l t b o m m e l , E u r o p e s e

In t h e s u m m e r o f 1996, C h a r l e m a g n e Palestine, c a r i l l o n n e u r o f N e w York's St. T h o m a s C h u r c h f r o m 1964 t o 1970, played his " S o n o r i t y f o r C a r i l l o n " at

B i b l i o t h e e k , 1971). B o b van W e l y ( c a r i l l o n n e u r , assistant c u r a t o r o f t h e N a t i o n a l M u s e u m

from

Musical B o x t o B a r r e l O r g a n in U t r e c h t ) : i n t e r v i e w D e c e m b e r 1999.

t h e S o n a m b i e n t e s o u n d art festival in Berlin. O n e c o n cert t o o k place o n a b r i g h t S u n d a y a f t e r n o o n in t h e idyllic T i e r g a r t e n p a r k , a p o p u l a r p i c n i c s p o t f o r T u r k i s h

G e e r t d ' H o l l a n d e r ( f o r m e r c a r i l l o n n e u r o f B e r k e l e y University, c u r r e n t l y playing in A n t w e r p , G h e n t , Lier, a n d S i n t - N i k l a a s , t e a c h e r at t h e s c h o o l f o r c a r i l l o n n e u r s in M e c h e l e n ) : i n t e r v i e w J a n u a r y 2 0 0 0 .

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING. SUMMER. 00

ANCIENT ECHOES THE ORIGINS OF S O U N D SCULPTURES

David Lubman with Brenda

Kiser

N MY FIRST VISIT T O T H E MAYAN C E R E M O N I A L CITY OF C H I C H E N ITZA IN J A N U A R Y 1 9 9 8 , I

discovered t h a t an e c h o f r o m t h e staircase o f an a n c i e n t t e m p l e m a y p r o v e t o

be, in effect, an i n t e n t i o n a l s o u n d r e c o r d i n g . I a m an acoustical scientist a n d C h i c h e n Itza has l o n g b e e n k n o w n f o r acoustical a n o m a l i e s , s u c h as t h o s e r e p o r t e d o n W a y n e van Kirk's W e b site " M a y a n R u i n s a n d U n e x p l a i n e d A c o u s t i c s " ( w w w . m o s t . o r g . p l / n e w - c i v i / m i l l e n n i u m _ m a t t e r s / s p h i n x w . h t m l ) . So, w h e n I w e n t o n v a c a t i o n in t h e n o r t h e r n Y u c a t a n w h e r e t h e city's r u i n s are l o c a t e d , I t o o k a l o n g s o m e s i m p l e p o r t a b l e s o u n d i n s t r u m e n t s a n d a digital tape r e c o r d e r . T h e site's m o s t f a m o u s s t r u c t u r e is its massive l i m e s t o n e t e m p l e in t h e f o r m o f a t r u n c a t e d p y r a m i d . N a m e d El Castillo (the Castle) b y t h e S p a n i s h c o n q u i s t a dors arriving c e n t u r i e s after t h e Maya h a d mysteriously a b a n d o n e d t h e city a n d returned to the Guatemalan jungles, the pyramid dominates the open, grass-covered plaza o n w h i c h it resides. O n e a c h o f its f o u r sides a steep staircase leads u p t o a small t e m p l e o n t h e s u m m i t . T w o o f these staircases are r e s t o r e d . M a n y c l i m b e r s w h o r e a c h t h e t o p f i n d that t h e steps' u n u s u a l l y h i g h risers a n d n a r r o w treads m a k e f o r a t r e a c h e r ous descent. If y o u stand in f r o n t o f El Castillo a n d clap y o u r h a n d s , y o u will h e a r a r e m a r k a b l e e c h o â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a distinct c h i r p t h a t s w o o p s d o w n w a r d in p i t c h by a l m o s t an octave. T o u r guides a n d tourists like t o clap t h e i r h a n d s t o h e a r t h e e c h o , greatly a n n o y i n g t h e archaeologists w o r k i n g t h e r e . I s t o o d in f r o n t o f t h e t e m p l e a n d , like o t h e r tourists, c l a p p e d m y h a n d s a n d m a r v e l e d at t h e e c h o . U n l i k e o t h e r tourists w h o listened a n d p r o m p t l y f o r g o t , I sensed that this e c h o was m o r e t h a n j u s t a " m y s t e r y " t o tantalize tourists. I m a d e t a p e r e c o r d i n g s o f t h e initial i m p u l s e (the h a n d c l a p ) a n d t h e r e s u l t i n g c h i r p e d e c h o a n d n o t e d t h e a m a z i n g similarity o f this e c h o w i t h t h e call o f t h e sacred q u e t z a l b i r d . A n o r m a l e c h o is a delayed replica o f t h e stimulus, o r a series o f delayed replicas. E x p e r i e n c e tells us t o e x p e c t t h e e c h o o f a h a n d c l a p t o s o u n d like a h a n d c l a p , o r a series o f h a n d c l a p s . B u t this e c h o s o u n d s n o t h i n g at all like a h a n d c l a p . It s o u n d s tonal. C h o r d a l is a b e t t e r d e s c r i p t i o n t h a n t o n a l , b e c a u s e t h e e c h o is r i c h in h a r m o n i c s . ( T h e p r e s e n c e o f h a r m o n i c s m a y s u r p r i s e m a n y scientifically t r a i n e d readers, b u t it is t r u e n o n e t h e l e s s . It is best u n d e r s t o o d by v i e w i n g t h e staircase as an acoustical d i f f r a c -

t i o n grating.) T h e e c h o , m o r e o v e r , consists o f a d o w n w a r d glissando, o r g l i d i n g c h o r d , ( b a c k g r o u n d ) Quetzal bird in flight, published in Quetzal

T h o r j a n s o n , ÂŠ 1992. Photo by Thorjanson ( b e l o w ) Temple of Kukulkan, resconstructed side, Chich6n Itza, Mexico, 1998. Photo by David Lubman

that persists l o n g e r t h a n t h e s t i m u l a t i n g handclap's b r i e f snap. T h e physics o f t h e e c h o are s i m p l e t o explain. T o n a l e c h o e s arise f r o m p e r i o d i c a c o u s t i c r e f l e c t i o n s f r o m step faces. T h e early reflections are r e c e i v e d f r o m t h e l o w e r steps a n d t h e late e c h o e s are received f r o m t h e h i g h e r steps. T h e p i t c h declines b e c a u s e t h e p e r i o d b e t w e e n r e f l e c tions b e c o m e s gradually l o n g e r f o r t h e h i g h e r steps. S o m e have a t t e m p t e d t o explain t h e steps' s h o r t t r e a d b y o b s e r v i n g t h a t t h e M a y a are small p e o p l e . T h a t d o e s n o t e x p l a i n , h o w e v e r , w h y t h e stairs o f o t h e r M a y a n b u i l d i n g s have l o n g e r treads, n o r d o e s it e x p l a i n t h e u n u s u a l l y h i g h risers. W h y t h e n w e r e t h e steps b u i l t t o t h o s e d i m e n s i o n s a n d n o t a n o t h e r ? W e r e t h e stairs o f d i f f e r P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING. SUMMER. 00

Temple of Kukulkan,

edges slowly creeps d o w n a balustrade as t h e s u n rises.

Chichen Itza, Mexico,

A r c h a e o l o g i s t s s p e c u l a t e that an a n n u a l ritual c e l e b r a t i n g

Spring Equinox, March 21, 1997.

the

Photo by Ron and Roxy W h i t e

feathered

serpent

took

place

the

equinox.

T h o u s a n d s m a y have filled t h e grassy plaza t o w a t c h t h e

e n t d i m e n s i o n s , t h e e c h o w o u l d have n o t m a t c h e d t h e

s e r p e n t s h a d o w d e s c e n d t h e staircase t o t h e great c a r v e d

f r e q u e n c i e s o f t h e q u e t z a l s o n g as closely as t h e y d o .

s e r p e n t h e a d at t h e b o t t o m . In fact, t h o u s a n d s still flock

S o m e a r c h a e o l o g i s t s dismiss t h e e c h o as an a r t i f a c t o f

t o t h e site t o e x p e r i e n c e t h e p h e n o m e n o n .

reconstruction. O b s e r v i n g that the

unreconstructed

sides p r o d u c e t h e same e c h o easily negates t h e i r claim.

T h e r e s p l e n d e n t q u e t z a l is a b i r d t h a t t h e M a y a b e l i e v e d t o b e sacred. T h i s e n d a n g e r e d bird,

S o m e tonal e c h o e s are accidental. M e r e

c o n s i d e r e d o n e o f t h e m o s t b e a u t i f u l o f tropical birds, is

d e s i g n d e f e c t s . B u t is it likely t h a t t h e M a y a n p r i e s t s

f o u n d o n l y in C e n t r a l A m e r i c a ' s h i g h l a n d c l o u d forests.

w o u l d have a l l o w e d a c o n s p i c u o u s a n d u n w a n t e d s o u n d

I m m e d i a t e l y o n r e t u r n i n g h o m e , I b o u g h t a CD o f c l o u d

t o r e m a i n at a sacred site? It seems m o r e likely that t h e

forest b i r d songs r e c o r d e d in C o s t a R i c a ' s M o n t e v e r d e

e c h o actually served a f u n c t i o n . T h e M a y a h a d a r e m a r k -

C l o u d Forest R e s e r v e . T h e r e c o r d i n g i n c l u d e d three

ably s o p h i s t i c a t e d k n o w l e d g e o f astronomy, a r c h i t e c t u r e ,

types of q u e t z a l vocalization: o n e of t h e b i r d in

and time, along with a highly developed mythology.

o n e o f a nest d i s t u r b a n c e call, a n d o n e o f its p r i m a r y call.

flight,

T h e y w e r e also literate a n d h a d d e v e l -

T h e quetzal's p r i m a r y s o n g as r e c o r d e d o n t h e CD was a

o p e d a vast library o f w r i t i n g s . D e n o u n c e d as " s u p e r s t i -

d o w n w a r d chirp, u n c a n n i l y like t h e pyramid's e c h o b o t h

t i o n s a n d f a l s e h o o d s o f t h e d e v i l " by t h e Spanish friar

in p a t t e r n a n d in p i t c h . I t h e n created s o n o g r a m s o f t h e

D i e g o d e L a n d a in 1 5 6 2 , m o s t o f t h e i r b o o k s w e r e c o n -

r e c o r d e d e c h o a n d t h e quetzal chirp. W h i l e n o t exact,

signed to the flames. Fortunately, a few manuscripts

t h e t w o are v e r y similar. Playing t h e t w o s o u n d s in rapid

r e m a i n , a l o n g w i t h a c o m p l e x system o f glyphs c a r v e d

s u c c e s s i o n t o n e u t r a l listeners b r o u g h t n e w r e i n f o r c e -

i n t o b u i l d i n g s a n d stelae. S o m e o f t h e glyphs have b e e n

m e n t . A f e w w e r e skeptical, b u t m o s t w e r e i m p r e s s e d a n d

translated. W e k n o w that t h e M a y a n a m e d this p y r a m i d

a s t o n i s h e d b y t h e similarity. M a n y w e r e u t t e r l y c o n -

the Temple of Kukulkan. T h e name of the Mayan god

v i n c e d that t h e e c h o was a s y n t h e t i c quetzal chirp.

Kukulkan means "quetzal serpent," "feathered serpent,"

B u t is this m o r e

than

coincidence?

o r " p l u m e d s e r p e n t " a n d is t h e e q u i v a l e n t o f t h e Toltec

C o u l d t h e a n c i e n t M a y a have d e l i b e r a t e l y c o n s t r u c t e d

and Aztec god Quetzalcoatl.

t h e p y r a m i d steps t o r e p r o d u c e a birdcall? In o r d e r t o

A t t h e s p r i n g e q u i n o x , an e x t r a o r d i n a r y

m a k e such a j u d g m e n t , I h a d t o l e a r n m o r e a b o u t t h e

natural light a n d s h a d o w s h o w graphically illustrates t h e

bird, its habits, a n d its place in M a y a n life a n d religion, as

t e m p l e ' s n a m e . B e c a u s e o f t h e building's solar a l i g n m e n t ,

well as h o w it c a m e t o b e associated w i t h t h e f e a t h e r e d

a z i g z a g o r s e r p e n t i n e s h a d o w cast b y t h e p y r a m i d ' s

serpent of Mayan legend.

Public A r t R e v i e w . SPRING. SUMMER. 00

"feather merchants." T h e y carried the feathers f r o m the Guatemalan

highlands to lowland religious

centers,

i n c l u d i n g C h i c h e n Itza. In f a c t , q u e t z a l f e a t h e r s h a v e b e e n f o u n d as far n o r t h as N e w M e x i c o a n d as far s o u t h as t h e A n d e s . T h e pochtecas

were m o r e than traveling

salesmen. T h e y w e r e m e m b e r s o f a g u i l d s w o r n t o act w i t h h u m i l i t y a n d m o d e s t y . T h e y w e r e explicitly f o r b i d d e n f r o m a c c u m u l a t i n g i n d i v i d u a l w e a l t h o r f r o m disp l a y i n g p e r s o n a l a f f l u e n c e . In t h e b o o k Bird of Life, Bird of Death,

author Jonathan Evan Maslow describes the

m e r c h a n t s as a religious b r o t h e r h o o d d e v o t e d t o s p r e a d i n g t h e cult o f Q u e t z a l c o a t l . T h e pochtecas c a r r i e d stories a b o u t " t h e fabled feathered serpent, the brilliant green snake that lived in t h e sky a n d p l u n g e d t o t h e e a r t h , " says z o o l o g i s t and

author

Quetzal: the

Dorothy

Hinshaw

Patent

in h e r

book

Sacred Bird of the Cloud Forest. T h e association o f

bird

with

the

sacred

feathered

serpent

M e s o a m e r i c a n l e g e n d was n o t arbitrary. T h e r e m a r k a b l e display e x h i b i t e d by t h e m a l e q u e t z a l d u r i n g its s p r i n g T h e r e s p l e n d e n t q u e t z a l (Pharomachrus

ritual m a t i n g flight m a y have g i v e n rise t o t h e i m a g e o f

mocinno) b e l o n g s t o t h e t r o g o n f a m i l y o f tropical birds.

the flying s e r p e n t that rose to t h e heavens a n d t h e n

A l t h o u g h its b o d y is small, o n l y f o u r t e e n i n c h e s l o n g ,

plunged to the earth. T h e Mayan inhabitants of the

t h e tail feathers (called coverts) o f t h e m a l e b i r d e a r n it

c l o u d forests m u s t have k n o w n t h e s e v e r n a l sights a n d

t h e d e s c r i p t o r " r e s p l e n d e n t . " T r a i l i n g m o r e t h a n t w o feet

s o u n d s well.

b e h i n d t h e body, t h e f o u r coverts s h i m m e r in brilliant

Naturalist T h o r Jansen, o n e of the few

iridescent green. T h e magnificence of these feathers

m o d e r n people lucky e n o u g h to witness the m a t i n g

m a d e t h e bird p r e c i o u s as a valuable c o m m o d i t y t o t h e

flight, w r o t e in his b o o k Quetzal

ancient Mesoamericans, w h o considered t h e m a symbol

s h o o t i n g u p v e r t i c a l l y t h r o u g h t h e f o r e s t at s u n r i s e ,

o f w e a l t h a n d p o w e r . Killing a quetzal was a c r i m e p u n -

shimmering

ishable by d e a t h . Feathers w e r e h a r v e s t e d f r o m c a p t u r e d

b e h i n d . W h e n t h e b i r d s r e a c h e d several h u n d r e d f e e t

birds, w h i c h w e r e t h e n released. N e w feathers g r e w

a b o v e t h e forest canopy, t h e y d o v e straight d o w n v o c a l -

every year.

i z i n g repeatedly. T h e i r w i n g s h e l d close t o t h e i r b o d i e s

emerald

green

o f s e e i n g m a l e quetzals tail

feathers

streaming

(mer-

w h i l e t h e i r c o v e r t s u n d u l a t e d t h r o u g h t h e air, m a l e

c h a n t s w h o lead) m a y h a v e b e e n M e s o a m e r i c a ' s first

quetzals gave t h e p o w e r f u l a p p e a r a n c e o f flying s e r p e n t s .

I t i n e r a n t v e n d o r s called pochtecas

According to Patent, the bird s y m b o l ized u n i t y b e t w e e n sky a n d e a r t h , s n a k e a n d b i r d , l i g h t a n d dark. F r o m t h e q u e t z a l c o m e s t h e f e a t h e r e d s e r p e n t , "a sacred snake c l o a k e d in b r i g h t g r e e n f e a t h e r s instead o f scales, w h i c h u n i f i e d t h e s e a p p a r e n t o p p o s i t e s . " The

pyramids

also r e f l e c t e d

duality.

T h e y r e p r e s e n t e d t h e ascent f r o m Tezcatlipoca (the T o l t e c w o r d for the jaguar, w h i c h symbolized death and dark-

ness) t o t h e light a n d w i s d o m o f K u k u l k a n . T h e y w e r e stages o n w h i c h priests p e r f o r m e d t h e i r c o s m i c rituals f o r t h e p e o p l e g a t h e r e d below. P e r h a p s t h e priests s t a n d i n g in f r o n t o f t h e p y r a m i d steps c l a p p e d t h e i r h a n d s a n d

Feathered serpent head, Temple of Kukulkan, Chichen Itza, Mexico, 1998. Photo by David Lubman

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING. SUMMER. 00

w e r e n o t noises t o b e disregarded o r even t o b e e n j o y e d s i m p l y b e c a u s e o f t h e pleasant a m b i e n c e t h e y c r e a t e d . T h e s o u n d s c a p e c o n v e y e d i n f o r m a t i o n useful t o susten a n c e a n d i m p o r t a n t f o r s u r v i v a l . S o u n d b e c a m e an i m p o r t a n t e l e m e n t o f ritual. D r u m s a n d flutes a n d t h e h u m a n voice imitated elements of the

soundscapes.

S o u n d s used in ritual r e p r e s e n t e d t h e gods that c o n t r o l n a t u r e , w e r e i n t e n d e d t o p r o p i t i a t e a n d even to i m i t a t e t h e m . By i m i t a t i n g natural s o u n d s , h u m a n s w e r e b e g i n n i n g t o c o n t r o l n a t u r e . H u m a n s w e r e b e c o m i n g godlike. M o d e r n c u l t u r e has b l o c k e d o u t

the

n a t u r a l s o u n d s c a p e . T h e n e w u r b a n s o u n d s c a p e is largely n o i s e â&#x20AC;&#x201D; u n w a n t e d s o u n d s c o n v e y i n g little useful i n f o r m a t i o n . Solid walls a n d glass w i n d o w s k e e p o u t t h e rain a n d w i n d a n d insulate us f r o m t h e u n w a n t e d s o u n d s o f n e i g h b o r s . F u r t h e r m o r e , by k e e p i n g t h e s o u n d s o f o u r h o u s e h o l d f r o m b e i n g h e a r d by o u r n e i g h b o r s , t h e b a r riers e n s u r e o u r privacy. N o w , w e are r e m o v e d f r o m t h e natural soundscape and sonically isolated f r o m

our

human community. T h a n k s t o t h e adaptive abilities o f t h e h u m a n a u d i t o r y system, m o s t u r b a n p e o p l e have l e a r n e d Male quetzal bird, published in Quetzal

t o largely disregard t h e m o d e r n s o u n d s c a p e . Eyes rule.

by T h o r j a n s o n , ÂŠ 1992.

So it is u n d e r s t a n d a b l e that archaeologists, too, disregard

Photo by Thorjanson

the soundscape. Archaeologists study disappeared culthe great feathered serpent spoke in the voice of the

tures t h r o u g h

q u e t z a l t h a t all w o u l d r e c o g n i z e . T h e r i t u a l m a y h a v e

S o u n d is e p h e m e r a l . Archaeologists have s u p p o s e d that

t a k e n place at t h e t i m e of t h e v e r n a l e q u i n o x . Life t r i -

a n c i e n t s h a d n o m e a n s like t h e s t o n e a n d clay o n w h i c h

u m p h e d yet again over d e a t h a n d darkness.

they r e c o r d e d their stories to record the sounds that

and

stones.

the

were i m p o r t a n t to t h e m . T h e y believe that they can

M a y a n f e a t h e r e d s e r p e n t , h e l p t o d e f i n e c u l t u r e s . In a

n e v e r h e a r these a n c i e n t s o u n d s o r k n o w h o w t h e y w e r e

t i m e b e y o n d m e m o r y , o u r h u m a n ancestors first t r i e d t o

u s e d . T h e r e f o r e , s o u n d has n o t b e e n c o n s i d e r e d a f r u i t f u l

u n d e r s t a n d t h e i r place in t h e w o r l d a n d in t h e vast c o s -

s u b j e c t f o r archaeological study.

Myths

and

metaphors,

such

m o s . T h e y c r e a t e d m y t h s in w h i c h a n i m a l s a n d birds,

B u t e v e n if t h e r e is r e a s o n t o b e l i e v e

t h u n d e r , w i n d , a n d rain b e c a m e m e t a p h o r s f o r d i v i n e

that t h e s o u n d s c a p e r e m a i n s as t h e o r i g i n a l i n h a b i t a n t s

and eternal truths. F r o m these myths and m e t a p h o r s

h e a r d it, c a n w e l e a r n a n y t h i n g o f a n c i e n t

g r e w rituals t h a t e n a b l e d t h e stories o f t h e g o d s w h o

beliefs a n d c u l t u r e f r o m listening? I t h i n k so. W e c a n

peoples'

resided a b o v e a n d b e l o w t h e i r w o r l d t o b e passed o n t o

o n l y a t t e m p t t o u n d e r s t a n d b y g o n e cultures by u n d e r -

t h e n e x t g e n e r a t i o n . T h e senses w e r e t h e i r p r o b e s . T h e y

s t a n d i n g their beliefs in c o m b i n a t i o n w i t h t h e artifacts

l o o k e d , t h e y sniffed, t h e y tasted, t h e y t o u c h e d .

t h e y left b e h i n d , i n c l u d i n g t h e i r s o u n d s c a p e s . Visual

They

material remainsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;bones

also

listened. T h e y

naturally

o b s e r v a t i o n a l o n e will n o t suffice. T h e a n c i e n t M a y a left

l e a r n e d t o i n t e r p r e t t h e s o u n d s o f birds a n d animals in

us an e c h o r e c o r d e d in t h e s t o n e steps o f t h e T e m p l e o f

subtle ways t h a t m o d e r n p e o p l e have f o r g o t t e n . U n l i k e

K u k u l k a n . T h e sacred b i r d o f life still sings. If o n l y w e

t h e i r m o d e r n d e s c e n d e n t s , o u r ancestors w e r e still p a r t

l e a r n again t o listen.

o f n a t u r e . T h e s o u n d s o f t h u n d e r , w i n d , a n d rain b e c a m e

For more on archaeological acoustics visit www.forecastart. org.

attributes of the gods and personifications of their p o w ers. R e v e r b e r a t i o n s a n d e c h o e s , such as t h o s e f o u n d in

David Lubman is an acoustical consultant living in Westminster, California.

caves a n d o t h e r r o c k art sites, w e r e voices o f t h e e a r t h

H e is a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America with many publications

speaking from another dimension. N a t u r a l s o u n d s f o u n d a place in a n c i e n t

in scientific journals. A former professor of mathematics, Lubman now lectures to promote the new field of archaeological acoustics.

religions and myths. N o t only were they a part of every-

Brenda Kiser is a freelance writer and musician with interests in mythology

day reality, t h e y c o n s t i t u t e d a l a n g u a g e . N a t u r a l s o u n d s

and religion. She also lives in Westminster, California.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING. SUMMER. 00

A CONVERSATION WITH MAX NEUHAUS Ulrich

Loock

The impetus for my first sound installation

in \961

was an interest in working

with

a public at large. Inserting works into their daily domain in such a way that people could find

them in their own time and on their own terms. Disguising

their environments

them

within

in such a way that people discovered them for themselves and took

possession of them, led by their curiosity into

listening. — M a x Neuhaus1

AX N E U H A U S WAS R E N O W N E D FOR HIS I N T E R P R E T A T I O N

OF C O N T E M P O R A R Y

MUSIC

w h i l e still in his t w e n t i e s . In t h e early 1960's, h e t o u r e d A m e r i c a a n d E u r o p e . as a p e r c u s s i o n soloist first w i t h B o u l e z , a n d t h e n w i t h S t o c k h a u s e n , a n d

gave solo recitals at C a r n e g i e H a l l a n d i n E u r o p e a n capitals. T h e w o r l d o f t h e p e r c u s sionist is o n e f o c u s e d o n s o u n d t i m b r e : N e u h a u s traveled w i t h o n e t h o u s a n d kilos o f p e r c u s s i o n i n s t r u m e n t s t o p e r f o r m his solo r e p e r t o i r e . H e e x t e n d e d this p a l e t t e o f s o u n d c o l o r by i n v e n t i n g several early e l e c t r o - a c o u s t i c i n s t r u m e n t s . H i s solo a l b u m r e c o r d e d f o r C o l u m b i a M a s t e r w o r k s in 1 9 6 8 stands as o n e o f t h e first e x a m p l e s o f w h a t is n o w called live e l e c t r o n i c music. N e u h a u s w e n t o n t o p i o n e e r artistic activities o u t s i d e c o n v e n t i o n a l c u l t u r a l c o n t e x t s a n d b e g a n t o realize s o u n d w o r k s a n o n y m o u s l y in p u b l i c p l a c e s , d e v e l o p i n g art f o r m s o f his o w n . U t i l i z i n g t h e sense o f s o u n d a n d p e o p l e s r e a c t i o n s t o it that h e a c q u i r e d after f o u r t e e n years as a m u s i c i a n , h e b e g a n t o m a k e s o u n d w o r k s that w e r e n e i t h e r m u s i c n o r events a n d c o i n e d t h e t e r m " s o u n d i n s t a l l a t i o n " t o d e s c r i b e t h e m . S t a r t i n g f r o m t h e p r e m i s e that o u r sense of place d e p e n d s o n w h a t w e h e a r as well as w h a t w e see, h e utilized a g i v e n social a n d aural c o n t e x t as a f o u n d a t i o n t o b u i l d a n e w p e r c e p t i o n o f place w i t h s o u n d . W i t h t h e realization o f t h e s e n o n v i s u a l a r t w o r k s f o r m u s e u m s in A m e r i c a a n d E u r o p e , h e b e c a m e t h e first t o e x t e n d s o u n d as a p r i m a r y m e d i u m i n t o t h e plastic arts. O v e r t h e last t h i r t y s o m e years h e has c r e a t e d a large n u m b e r o f s o u n d w o r k s for various e n v i r o n m e n t s , i n c l u d i n g p e r m a n e n t w o r k s in t h e U n i t e d States ( T i m e s S q u a r e in N e w Y o r k a n d t h e M u s e u m o f C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t in C h i c a g o ) a n d Europe

(Domaine

Kerguehennec,

Locmine,

France;

CAPC

Musee

d'Art

C o n t e m p o r a i n , B o r d e a u x , F r a n c e ; t h e AOK B u i l d i n g , Kassel, G e r m a n y ; t h e K u n s t h a l l e

B e r n , S w i t z e r l a n d ; a n d t h e C a s t e l l o di R i v o l i , M u s e o d ' A r t e C o n t e m p o r a n e a , Italy) a l o n g w i t h n u m e r o u s s h o r t - t e r m w o r k s in m u s e u m s a n d e x h i b i t i o n s (the M u s e u m o f M o d e r n A r t , t h e W h i t n e y M u s e u m o f A m e r i c a n A r t , a n d t h e C l o c k t o w e r in N e w Y o r k C i t y ; ARC, M u s e e d ' A r t M o d e r n e d e la V i l l e d e Paris; t h e C e n t r e N a t i o n a l

d'Art

C o n t e m p o r a i n , G r e n o b l e , F r a n c e ; t h e K u n s t h a l l e Basel, S w i t z e r l a n d ; D o c u m e n t a 6 a n d 9, Kassel, G e r m a n y a n d t h e V e n i c e B i e n n a l e , Venice, Italy) a n d n u m e r o u s o n e p e r s o n e x h i b i t i o n s o f his d r a w i n g s . • • •

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING. SUMMER. 00

TH«£ TO Owt

j? TVI

SBrSiSfjS 1

Three

to One, colored pencil on paper,

bricks and mortar. T h e y don't d e t e r m i n e w h a t I build;

89 x 74 cm, 89 x 40 cm, 1992. Sound W o r k Reference: Collection: Documenta, L o c a t i o n : AOK. Building,

t h e y are w h a t I b u i l d w i t h . Loock: In a w o r k o f y o u r s , a p e r s o n ' s

Kassel, Germany, Dimensions: 7 x 1 6 x 3 m, 7 x 1 6 x 3 m, 7 x 16 x 3 m, Extant: 1992-present.

p e r c e p t u a l f o c u s c h a n g e s f r o m visual t o aural, w h i c h

Photo courtesy Lisson Gallery, London

m e a n s that t h e place that is created by p e r c e i v i n g y o u r w o r k takes y o u o u t o f t h e actual physical space y o u ' v e

Loock: Y o u r s o u n d w o r k s in g e n e r a l

entered.

c a n n o t b e e x p e r i e n c e d a p a r t f r o m t h e space w h e r e t h e y

Neuhaus: Yes, y o u m o v e i n t o a n o t h e r

exist. T h e y c a n n o t b e r e c o r d e d . T h e y ' r e n o t o n l y aural

place. M o s t of us are visually o r i e n t e d , so that shift f r o m

e x p e r i e n c e , t h e y are c o n n e c t e d t o a c e r t a i n given space.

visual t o aural in itself is a m o v e r . M y interest as an artist

B u t o n t h e o t h e r h a n d t h e y are n o t "site s p e c i f i c . " T h i s is

is in s p e a k i n g w i t h t h e spirit; a n d w h a t w e are really

an i n t e r e s t i n g c o n t r a d i c t i o n , d o n ' t y o u t h i n k ?

t a l k i n g a b o u t h e r e is m y m e a n s of m a n a g i n g to d o this.

Neuhaus: I do, yes. People's first a s s u m p -

W e are living in a t i m e in w h i c h it's h a r d e r to m a k e this

t i o n usually is that t h e y are s o m e n e w f o r m o f music. In

c o m m u n i c a t i o n ; t h e r o u t e s are o v e r u s e d , t h e paths m o r e

fact t h e y differ in t w o p r i n c i p a l ways f r o m music. O n e is

disguised.

t h a t t h e y ' r e n o t a s u c c e s s i o n o f s o u n d e v e n t s in t i m e , •

w h i c h is o n e o f t h e basic d e f i n i t i o n s of m u s i c : a series of

•

Loock: U s u a l l y y o u r w o r k s are

s o u n d events t h a t progress f r o m o n e t o t h e o t h e r a n d that

pro-

d r a w a l i n e i n t i m e . T h e o t h e r d i f f e r e n c e is that t h e s o u n d

d u c e d a n d p e r c e i v e d in t h e c o n t e x t o f t h e visual arts.

is n o t t h e w o r k ; t h e s o u n d is t h e m a t e r i a l that I m a k e t h e

W h a t are t h e i m p l i c a t i o n s o f s w i t c h i n g f r o m t h e visual

place o u t of, t h a t I t r a n s f o r m t h e space i n t o a place w i t h .

t o t h e aural?

So r e c o r d i n g this m a t e r i a l a n d playing it b a c k s o m e w h e r e

Neuhaus: P e o p l e t e n d t o a s s u m e t h a t

else is as silly as t a k i n g t h e p a i n t o f f t h e canvas a n d t h i n k -

w e p e r c e i v e t h e plastic arts o n l y w i t h o u r e y e s . T h e c o n -

i n g it's still t h e p a i n t i n g .

temporary definition includes the creation or transfor-

Loock: S o t h e s e w o r k s are n o t a b o u t t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f t h e space o r o f t h e a r c h i t e c t u r e itself;

m a t i o n o f a space as sculpture. Since w e perceive space w i t h o u r ears as well, w h y d o e s it have t o b e visible?

t h e y are n o t a b o u t , say, a n y i n s t i t u t i o n a l o r c u l t u r a l

M y s o u n d w o r k s have n o visible c o m -

i m p l i c a t i o n s o f t h e space y o u ' r e using. B u t w h a t t h e y are

p o n e n t . If t h e s o u n d sources c a n n o t b e placed o u t o f

d o i n g is f o r m i n g a place o f t h e i r o w n .

sight, I m a k e t h e m l o o k like s o m e t h i n g else: in a c o n -

Neuhaus: I n d e e d . T h e social c o n t e x t , the physical c o n t e x t , the architectural

context,

the

a c o u s t i c a l c o n t e x t are m y b u i l d i n g b l o c k s ; t h e y ' r e m y

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING. SUMMER. 00

text w h e r e p e o p l e assume t h e w o r k is visual, it w o u l d b e silly t o let t h e m a s s u m e I was p r o p o s i n g a l o u d speaker as an a r t w o r k .

Loock: D o y o u h a v e a n y s p e c i f i c ideas a b o u t essentia] d i f f e r e n c e s b e t w e e n visual

perception

way. It is n o t so m u c h a b o u t o b j e c t s ; it s e e m s a b o u t events.

Neuhaus: W o r k i n g w i t h s o u n d b y d e f i -

a n d visual o r i e n t a t i o n versus aural p e r c e p t i o n a n d aural

n i t i o n m a k e s w h a t I d o i n t a n g i b l e , w h i c h is a g o o d p l a c e

o r i e n t a t i o n in t h e w o r l d ? Neuhaus:

I personally

perceive

the

t o start if o n e is t r y i n g t o talk t o t h e s p i r i t .

w o r l d a u r a l l y r a t h e r t h a n visually. I r e c o g n i z e v o i c e s

Loock: I t h i n k t h a t is a v e r y i m p o r t a n t

b e f o r e faces; I k n o w w h o ' s o n t h e p h o n e b e f o r e I k n o w

p o i n t . T h e visual has a t e n d e n c y t o m a k e t h i n g s t a n g i b l e .

t h e m face to face, and m a n y times I d o n ' t

A n d p r o b a b l y this h i s t o r i c s h i f t t o t h e visual h a s t o d o

recognize

with the d e v e l o p m e n t of society and of means of p r o -

p e o p l e face to face until I hear the voice. W e k n o w t h a t t h e aural a n d t h e visual are c o m p l e m e n t a r y p e r c e p t u a l s y s t e m s . E a r is c o m p l e -

duction. T h e

a u r a l is n o t as u s e f u l at

things, objects, goods.

Neuhaus: But it can change o u r p e r -

m e n t a r y t o eye; e a c h o n e fills in h o l e s in t h e o t h e r ' s p i c t u r e . P e o p l e say t h a t s i n c e t h e i n v e n t i o n o f t h e p r i n t i n g

c e p t i o n o f t h i n g s r a d i c a l l y e v e n t h o u g h it's i m m a t e r i a l . Loock: Y o u c a n h e a r t h i n g s y o u

press w e ' v e b e c o m e m o r e a n d m o r e visually o r i e n t e d . B e f o r e t h a t , h i s t o r y was aural. If w e g o b a c k t o v e r y early

can-

n o t see. Neuhaus: It's a m o r e d i r e c t c h a n n e l t o

m a n , survival d e p e n d e d in m a n y cases m o r e o n t h e aural t h a n t h e visual; i n a f o r e s t w e c o u l d h e a r d a n g e r f u r t h e r

manipulating

the unconscious, I think.

t h a n w e c o u l d s e e it. W e ' v e t u r n e d o u r s e l v e s o v e r in

Loock: A n d t h e a u r a l is c u l t u r a l l y n o t as

s o m e ways; still, o u r a u r a l m i n d is b y n o m e a n s in a state

l o a d e d as t h e visual. T h e a u r a l s e e m s t o b e f r e e r o f c u l -

of atrophy. T h e fact that w e can speak and u n d e r s t a n d

tural baggage, o f cultural definitions.

l a n g u a g e is a n i n c r e d i b l y c o m p l e x a u r a l f e a t . T h a t w e c a n

Neuhaus: I t h i n k it is, b u t it d e p e n d s o n

f u r t h e r d i s t i n g u i s h t h e d i f f e r e n c e in o r i g i n o f a p e r s o n

w h i c h part of t h e aural. C u l t u r e s o f t e n d e v e l o p a v e r y

f r o m t h e w a y h e s p e a k s — t h i s is a level o f n u a n c e t h a t

c o d i f i e d s o u n d l a n g u a g e , c a l l e d m u s i c , w h i c h is q u i t e

still c a n ' t b e a n a l y z e d b y c o m p u t e r s c i e n c e . W e c a n ' t

l o a d e d . W e also h a v e s p o k e n l a n g u a g e , t h i s c u l t u r a l l y s p e -

m e a s u r e it, y e t e v e r y o n e d o e s it w i t h o u t t h i n k i n g .

cific m e a n s o f a r t i c u l a t i n g ideas, w h i c h uses t h e ear.

V i s i o n is m o r e c o n s c i o u s t h a n h e a r i n g ,

O n c e y o u m o v e o u t s i d e t h e s e t w o areas, t h o u g h , t h e r e is

b u t t h a t d o e s n ' t m e a n t h e aural is less p o w e r f u l . W e t h i n k

a h u g e e x p a n s e o f f r e e t e r r i t o r y . T h i s is t h e s o u n d t e r r i -

a b o u t o u r eyes, w e ' r e m o r e c o n s c i o u s o f w h a t w e see. M o s t o f us w h i l e l i s t e n i n g t o s o m e o n e talk d o n ' t e v e n A Bell for Sankt

realize w e ' r e h e a r i n g . Loock: I t h i n k

the

visual sense

has

Caecilien,

colored pencil on paper,

5 7 x 90 cm, 5 7 x 28 cm, 1993. Sound W o r k Reference: Location: Park adjacent to Koeinischer

m u c h m o r e to d o w i t h identifying things, w i t h grasp-

Kunstverein, Cologne, Germany, Dimensions: 10 x 20 m, Extant: 1989-1991.

ing things, while h e a r i n g doesn't identify in the same

Photo courtesy Lisson Gallery, London

ffi.li.3aw0

AlfyiHiNi FUMl-mt oicflot of a CLOUD OftiCK

EwrtAiitfc. THOU&M \Cw.j^iiL MQ1I

II PS0W>K£S a, T*£ GJAiauS AW&SCWtfc, Ot Flfltt Of y mtT

P Si'ACiuIN=G t!>m Up

&ODRUM14

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING. SUMMER. 00

Suspended Sound Line, colored pencil on paper,

ally. F o r instance, Times Square has b e e n a n o n y m o u s a n d

64 x 70 cm, 64 x 52 cm, 1999.

u n e x p l a i n e d at t h e site f o r m o r e t h a n t e n years now.

Sound W o r k Reference: Collection: Kunst im oeffentlichen Raum die Stadt

Neuhaus: F o u r t e e n . W h e t h e r o r n o t I

Bern, Location: Lorrainestrasse I, Bern, Switzerland, Dimensions: 3 x 30 m, Extant 1999-present.

m a k e a w o r k a n o n y m o u s has t o d o w i t h t h e c o n t e x t .

Photo courtesy Lisson Gallery, London

Not

all m y

works

are

anonymous.

Times

Square's

a n o n y m i t y is a d o o r w a y , an e n t r a n c e t o this w o r k . T h e t o r y I w o r k in. It's u n c o d i f i e d . Y o u d o n ' t n e e d t o k n o w

d i l e m m a o f h a v i n g n o w a y t o e x p l a i n this s o u n d is a

a n y t h i n g t o e x p e r i e n c e a w o r k o f m i n e , all y o u n e e d t o

stimulus at first p r o v o k i n g curiosity; y o u t h i n k it almost

d o is listen.

c o u l d b e an a c c i d e n t , b u t it d o e s n ' t s o u n d like an accid e n t , a n d b e f o r e y o u k n o w it, y o u ' r e in it. Loock: R i g h t . I also t h i n k this u n c e r -

• • •

Loock: Let's talk a b o u t t h e d i f f e r e n c e o f

t a i n t y a b o u t w h e t h e r it is a w o r k , s o m e t h i n g t h a t has

y o u r artistic p r a c t i c e t o music. Y o u c o m e f r o m t h e field

b e e n installed deliberately t o m a k e a d i f f e r e n c e , o r j u s t

o f m u s i c ; a n d p r o b a b l y y o u r w o r k has d e v e l o p e d in rela-

m a y b e s o m e t e c h n i c a l o c c u r r e n c e that c o m e s f r o m t h e

t i o n t o t h i n g s w e all k n o w a b o u t , J o h n Cage's w o r k s , say,

s u b w a y keeps t h e w o r k as far as possible away f r o m c u l -

w h i c h m o s t of t h e t i m e are s i t u a t e d in t h e c o n t e x t o f

tural a p p r o p r i a t i o n . Neuhaus: M o s t

m u s i c . Y o u d o n ' t situate y o u r s e l f in this c o n t e x t . So h o w is y o u r s o u n d w o r k d i f f e r e n t f r o m music?

of the

people

who

d o n ' t k n o w w h a t it is take it as a b e a u t i f u l a n o m a l y in

Neuhaus: I t h i n k t h e r e are t h e s e t w o

t h e city t h a t t h e y f o u n d , s o m e t h i n g w h i c h is i n a d v e r -

p o i n t s I m e n t i o n e d earlier. O n e , I d o n ' t m a k e a series o f

t e n t , w h i c h they take as t h e i r o w n . I t h i n k t h e best w a y

s o u n d events in t i m e , w h i c h progress in t i m e ; that is a

o f p u t t i n g it is t h a t b y n o t c l a i m i n g it m y s e l f I a l l o w

basic d e f i n i t i o n o f m u s i c . Y o u d o n ' t c o m e t o a s o u n d

t h e m t o claim it. T h a t ' s w h a t I was t r y i n g t o do. It's t h e i r

w o r k o f m i n e at t h e b e g i n n i n g a n d leave at t h e e n d . I

e x p e r i e n c e , it's n o t m i n e ; t h e y s h o u l d claim it.

b u i l d s o u n d c o n t i n u u m s w i t h o u t b e g i n n i n g o r e n d . At • • •

t h e t i m e o f m y first installation s o m e t h i r t y years ago,

Loock: Let's talk a b o u t

this was a v e r y radical i d e a — f o r s o m e it still is. B u t t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t p o i n t is that in

concepts

public artworks.

m u s i c t h e s o u n d is t h e w o r k a n d i n w h a t I d o t h e s o u n d

Neuhaus: W h e n I first b e c a m e i n t e r -

is t h e m e a n s o f m a k i n g t h e w o r k , t h e m e a n s o f t r a n s -

ested in w o r k i n g in t h e p u b l i c d o m a i n in t h e m i d - s i x -

f o r m i n g space i n t o a n e w place.

ties, t h e r e w e r e practically n o o t h e r c o n t e m p o r a r y artists

Loock: I n y o u r w o r k

t h e r e exists a

w o r k i n g in t h e field; n o o n e was interested. Instead, t h e y

n o t i o n of anonymity. I a m r e f e r r i n g to s o m e public

w e r e all s t r u g g l i n g t o g e t t h e i r w o r k i n t o m u s e u m s .

w o r k s w h i c h are n o t labeled at all o r j u s t v e r y m a r g i n -

N o w it's b e c o m e a n i n d u s t r y . F o r y e a r s I ' v e i g n o r e d

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING. SUMMER. 00

r e q u e s t s t o s e n d m y slides t o slide registries, t h i n k i n g

easily i g n o r e d ; a n d if y o u d o n ' t w a n t t o i g n o r e it y o u c a n

t h a t a n y o n e w h o asks f o r slides o f invisible w o r k s is c e r -

h e a r it, y o u can listen t o it, y o u can m a k e u s e o f it. Neuhaus: I believe t h e a e s t h e t i c e x p e r i -

tainly o f t o o m e a n an i n t e l l i g e n c e t o b e able t o c o m m i s sion m e . O c c a s i o n a l l y I g e t a r e q u e s t f o r tapes o f m y

e n c e is n o t s o m e t h i n g y o u can p r o m o t e o r e v e n t e a c h .

w o r k , i n s t e a d , b u t as t h e s o u n d in m y w o r k has n o

A l t h o u g h it is n a t u r a l t o all, e a c h p e r s o n h a s it o n l y

m e a n i n g w i t h o u t t h e p l a c e — l i k e t h e p a i n t w i t h o u t its

w h e n h e o r she is r e a d y — w h e n h e o r she a n d an a r t -

canvas—this in t h e e n d is j u s t as b a d .

work somehow meet.

B u t I'd like to g o b a c k t o t h e s u b j e c t o f

T h e first w o r k s t h a t I d i d w e r e f o r a

t h e site specific. I t h i n k all art is, in o n e sense, site s p e -

p u b l i c at large; t h e y w e r e a b o u t t a k i n g m y s e l f o u t o f t h e

cific. Traditional art f o r m s are specific t o t h e v e r y c o n s i s -

confined public of c o n t e m p o r a r y music and m o v i n g to a

t e n t site o f t h e m u s e u m a n d its s c u l p t u r e g a r d e n . N o t

b r o a d e r p u b l i c . I h a d a d e e p b e l i e f t h a t I c o u l d deal in a

that m u s e u m s aren't d i f f e r e n t , b u t t h e p a i n t i n g s are u s u -

c o m p l e x w a y w i t h p e o p l e i n t h e i r e v e r y d a y lives. I d i d -

ally h u n g o n w h i t e walls a n d s c u l p t u r e is m o s t c o m -

n't w a n t t o m a k e s i m p l e pieces f o r a s i m p l e p e o p l e b u t

m o n l y s h o w n o n grass.

s o m e t h i n g v e r y special accessible t o a n y o n e w h o w a s site, it

ready t o h e a r it. I d i d n ' t w a n t t o c o n f r o n t t h e m w i t h i t —

d e m a n d s that w e d e v e l o p n e w f o r m s . T h e w o r l d o u t s i d e

the opposite—to make something w h i c h they could

t h e m u s e u m is n o t a s c u l p t u r e g a r d e n . W e can n o t , b u t

f i n d , t o m a k e t h e w o r k in s u c h a w a y t h a t it leads t o dis-

When

move

another

m o r e i m p o r t a n t l y w e s h o u l d n o t , t r y t o m a k e it o n e . T h e

covery, t h a t t h e y discover it r a t h e r t h a n have it p u s h e d

n e w f o r m s also m u s t respect t h e fact t h a t these places are

upon them.

a p u b l i c d o m a i n , t h e y b e l o n g t o t h e public.

Edited from transcript, Milan

1990.

Loock: It seems t o m e t h a t a w o r k like Times

Square is n o t m a k i n g t h e a s s u m p t i o n s that m o s t

Ulrich Loock is currently the director of the Kunstmuseum in Lucerne.

p u b l i c art d o e s . It c a n e i t h e r b e p e r c e i v e d o r n o t . In these w o r k s t h e r e is n o idea o f c o n f r o n t a t i o n ; t h e r e is n o Notes

idea o f f o r c i n g p e o p l e t o c h a n g e t h e i r consciousness. It seems t o b e s o m e t h i n g w h i c h is so discreet t h a t it can b e Site of Times

Square

1. " T h e I n s t i t u t i o n a l Beast," Max Neuhaus, sound works, v o l u m e 1, inscription ( O s t f i l d e r n - S t u t t g a r t : C a n t z 1994).

on pedestrian island between 46th

and 45th Streets, N e w York City. Sound W o r k Reference: Dimensions: triangle 6 x 12 m, Extant: 1977-1992. Photo by Max Neuhaus The work is located on a pedestrian island: a triangle formed by the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue, between 46th and 45th Streets, in N e w York City's Times Square. The aural and visual environment is rich and complex. It includes large billboards, moving neon signs, office buildings, hotels, theaters, porno centers, and electronic game emporiums. Its population is equally diverse, including tourists, theatergoers, commuters, pimps, shoppers, hucksters, and office workers. Most

QUALITY AUDIO AND VIDEO

people are in motion, passing through the square.The island, as it is the junction of several of the square's pathways, is sometimes crossed by a thousand or more people in an hour. The work is an invisible unmarked block of sound on the north end of the island. Its sonority, a rich harmonic sound texture resembling the after ring of large bells, is an impossibility within its context. Many w h o pass through it, however, can dismiss it as an unusual machinery sound from below ground. For those w h o

,f j|||!|l]||t<

!iili|il||llli•iiistsi

find and accept the sound's impossibility though, the island becomes a different place, separate, but including its surroundings.These people, having no way of knowing that it has been deliberately made, usually claim the work as a place of their own discovering. N.B. Times

Square

has been inactive since 1992.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING. SUMMER. 00

ZONE OF MAGNIFIED POWER SITE-SPECIFIC S O U N D A R T

David

Means

' N THE I N T R O D U C T I O N TO HIS BOOK THE TRANSFORMATIVE

and History of Human

Expression,

VISION:

REFLECTIONS

ON THE

NATURE

art h i s t o r i a n J o s e Argiielles reveals that, " T h e p r o b -

l e m o f art, I slowly discovered, was i n e x t r i c a b l y i n v o l v e d w i t h t h e p r o b l e m o f history, a n d t h e p r o b l e m o f h i s t o r y w i t h t h e u n f a t h o m e d d e p t h s o f [one's] o w n n a t u r e . " 1 Initially t r a i n e d as a painter, Argiielles g r e w w e a r y o f t h e c o n s t a n t n e e d f o r n e w n e s s . A f t e r leaving s c h o o l h e b e g a n t o e x p e r i e n c e t h e w o r l d o f t h e m i d - 1 9 6 0 s as a " s t r a n g e a n d c h a o t i c place that b o r e little r e s e m b l a n c e t o w h a t I h a d k n o w n inside t h e u n i v e r sity.... I slowly b e g a n to consolidate m y t h o u g h t s and feelings a b o u t history...[and w r o t e ] a b r i e f p a p e r . . . [ a n n o u n c i n g ] t h e central t h e m e s o f The Transformative

Vision: his-

t o r y as a m y t h i c cycle, t r a n s c e n d e n c e o f reason, a n d t h e v i s i o n a r y role o f t h e artist." 2 Argiielles's c o n c e r n s w e r e s h a r e d b y R o b e r t S m i t h s o n , M i c h a e l H e i t z e r , a n d o t h e r visual artists w h o r e j e c t e d t h e h i s t o r i c a l role o f t h e m u s e u m in f a v o r o f l a r g e - s c a l e e a r t h w o r k s in r e m o t e l o c a t i o n s . M o r e recently, s o m e visual artists have r e p l a c e d visual f o r m w i t h s o u n d as t h e p r i m a r y e l e m e n t o f t h e i r w o r k , a n d traditionally t r a i n e d c o m posers are r e j e c t i n g t h e traditionally l o a d e d s e t t i n g o f t h e c o n c e r t hall in f a v o r o f a m o r e direct f o r m o f r e c e p t i o n f o u n d in s o u n d art. W h a t b e g a n f o r Argiielles as a p r o b l e m o f h i s t o r y has r e s o n a t e d f o r m a n y s o u n d artists t o d a y as a c h a l l e n g e t o t r a n s f o r m t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n artist a n d a u d i e n c e t h r o u g h a v a r i e t y o f n e w strategies, i n c l u d i n g t h e c r e a t i o n o f s i t e - s p e c i f i c p u b lic a r t w o r k s in r e m o t e spaces a n d n a t u r a l e n v i r o n m e n t s . In Australia, R o s B a n d t has used o r i g i n a l , historical, a n d n o n - W e s t e r n i n s t r u m e n t s t o e x p l o r e t h e r e s o n a n c e o f a large, hollow, c o n c r e t e c y l i n d e r five stories u n d e r g r o u n d in t h e C o l l i n s Place car p a r k in M e l b o u r n e . 3 In t h e N e t h e r l a n d s , s o u n d artists M a r i o Van H o r r i k a n d Petra D u b a c h t r a n s f o r m e d t h e t o w e r o f t h e E i n d h o v e n t r a i n s t a t i o n i n t o a vertical t r a m w a y f o r a " s o n i c c a r t " that gathers small s o u n d s f r o m t h e b u i l d i n g a n d t h e s u r r o u n d i n g e n v i r o n ( b a c k g r o u n d ) Dan Senn, The Catacombs

of Yucatan

Video Installation, Pendulyre,Yucatan,

Sound

installing

and Vertical

Minn., 1995.

Photo by Jodi M. O'Shaughnessy (above) Bill and Mary Buchen, NY Camelan,

interactive sound

m e n t a n d amplifies t h e m w h i l e traversing t h e e x t e r i o r o f t h e b u i l d i n g . In N e w Y o r k City, artists Bill a n d M a r y B u c h e n have c r e a t e d e l e g a n t s o u n d p l a y g r o u n d s a n d p a r k s w h e r e y o u n g p e o p l e e x p l o r e t h e n a t u r e o f acoustics in creative e n v i r o n m e n t s . 4 A n d i n M i n n e s o t a , artist L e i f B r u s h uses o u t d o o r space as t h e c o n t e x t f o r his i n s t a l l a t i o n s , w h i c h electronically m o n i t o r a n d acoustically o r c h e s t r a t e s o u n d s o f tree g r o w t h , w i n d , snow, sleet, rain, a n d o t h e r n a t u r a l p h e n o m e n a . 5 I n e a c h o f t h e s e p r o j e c t s , s o u n d is t h e

installation, N e w York Hall of

p r i n c i p a l m a t e r i a l a n d m e t h o d f o r t r a n s f o r m i n g t h e process o f m a k i n g a n d e x p e r i e n c -

Science, N.Y., 1999.

i n g p u b l i c art.

Photo courtesy the artists ( b e l o w ) Leif Brush, Choreography

T h i s article discusses s o m e critical a n d a e s t h e t i c i m p l i c a t i o n s o f a s p e -

Terraplane

International

Listening,

speakers transmitting sounds from nearby trees, Duluth, Minn., 1980. Photo courtesy the artist

cific p u b l i c art p r o j e c t by D a n S e n n , a T a c o m a - b a s e d c o m p o s e r a n d i n t e r m e d i a artist. Analysis o f his p r o j e c t T h e Catacombs of Yucatan Sound and Video Installation

reveals h o w

t h e discovery, i n v e n t i o n , a n d m a n i p u l a t i o n o f s o u n d s related t o a site's c u l t u r a l h i s t o r y a n d natural e n v i r o n m e n t can t r a n s f o r m t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n artist a n d a u d i e n c e a n d reestablish i m p o r t a n t aesthetic a n d cultural links t o a b r o a d e r p u b l i c d i s c o u r s e o n t h e n a t u r e o f art a n d creativity. P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING. SUMMER. 00

T h e first half o f t h e cave d e s c e n d s 50 yards i n t o t h e hillside to an i n t e r s e c t i o n w h e r e t w o n a r r o w r o o m s v e e r t o t h e left a n d r i g h t . F r o m here, a second and wider pathway descends sharply off t o t h e r i g h t f o r a n o t h e r 50 yards, leading t h r o u g h t w o large chambers. T h e f r o n t half is c h a r a c t e r i z e d by a n a r r o w p a t h , h i g h p o i n t e d ceilings a n d s o u n d - a b s o r b e n t surfaces. T h e s e c o n d half features a w i d e r p a t h l e a d i n g t h r o u g h t h e larger r o o m s , w i t h reverberant surfaces

T h e s e features dic-

tated the structure of the installation, in w h i c h discrete, s i g h t - o r i e n t e d materials w i t h a s o u n d c o m p o n e n t w e r e l o c a t e d in t h e first half, a n d materials

heterogeneous, with

a sight

placed in the s e c o n d

sound-oriented

component half. T h e

were

midpoint

served as a transition b e t w e e n halves. 6 In Senn's installation spectators e n c o u n t e r e d a variety o f t i m e - b a s e d a n d s p a c e - d e f i n e d v i e w i n g a n d listening e x p e r i e n c e s . L e d by d o c e n t s f r o m a p a r k i n g Bill and Mary Buchen, Parabolic

Bench, sound playground,

area t o t h e site o f t h e old d a n c e hall f o u n d a t i o n s , visitors

P.S. 23, Bronx, N.Y., 1992.

v i e w e d a v i d e o m a d e by S e n n o f local musicians p e r f o r m -

Photo courtesy the artists

i n g a p p r o p r i a t e d a n c e m u s i c f r o m t h e 1930s.Traveling f u r t h e r d o w n a p a t h t o t h e cave e n t r a n c e , t h e y v i e w e d , u p o n

T H E C A T A C O M B S OF Y U C A T A N

T h e C a t a c o m b s o f Y u c a t a n is t h e n a m e

e n t e r i n g , five m o n o c h r o m e v i d e o m o n i t o r s f e a t u r i n g f o r -

o f a l i m e s t o n e cave that was c o m m e r c i a l i z e d as a d a n c e

m e r cave a n d d a n c e hall w o r k e r s recalling t h e i r m e m o r i e s

hall in 1 9 3 4 in t h e hills s e p a r a t i n g H o u s t o n a n d S p r i n g

o f t h e place. S e n n relied o n t h e p o w e r f u l images o f these

G r o v e , M i n n e s o t a . U n t i l it s u c c u m b e d t o t h e h a r d t i m e s

f o r m e r w o r k e r s a n d local residents t o p r o v i d e a cultural

of the

authenticity that m a t c h e d the natural authenticity and

Great

D e p r e s s i o n , it a t t r a c t e d

thousands

t o u r i s t s . In 1 9 9 5 , S e n n , w h o h a d s p e n t m a n y o f his c h i l d h o o d s u m m e r s n e a r t h e cave, r e t u r n e d t o u n d e r t a k e

A constant balance b e t w e e n sound and

a m a j o r p u b l i c art p r o j e c t . T h e residents o f Y u c a t a n ( p o p -

visual e l e m e n t s i n f o r m e d Senn's c o n c e r n f o r egalitarian

u l a t i o n 20) w e r e skeptical o f t h e p r o j e c t at first, b u t w e r e

access a n d aesthetic awareness. T h e overall s o u n d e n v i -

w o n o v e r by an e d i t o r i a l in t h e local n e w s p a p e r . F i f t e e n

r o n m e n t i n c l u d e d Senn's s o u n d sculptures (self-acti-

hundred people showed up for the opening weekend. T h e y c a m e across fields a n d o n t h e backs o f tractors a n d r e p r e s e n t e d every g e n e r a t i o n . Local residents a n d f o r m e r e m p l o y e e s o f t h e d a n c e hall m i x e d w i t h e x p e r i m e n t a l arts a d v o c a t e s f r o m t h e T w i n Cities. T h e w h o l e o c c a s i o n was a c e l e b r a t i o n . It was also a subversion. S e n n did n o t p r e s e n t his p r o j e c t as art to t h e c o m m u n i t y . H e f o c u s e d 20

e n v i r o n m e n t a l a u t h o r i t y of t h e cave.

instead o n local nostalgia a n d historical interest in t h e cave. In this w a y h e s e d u c e d an a u d i e n c e w h o w o u l d n o t n o r m a l l y have s o u g h t art in a gallery o r m u s e u m s e t t i n g t o i n t e r a c t w i t h his e x p e r i m e n t a l w o r k a n d e n j o y t h e m selves in t h e process. T h e s t r u c t u r e o f The Catacombs tan Sound

and Video Installation

ofYuca-

and the materials Senn

c h o s e t o use w e r e directly inspired by t h e physical e n v i r o n m e n t o f t h e cave:

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING. SUMMER. 00

vated c o n s t r u c t i o n s o f m e t a l o b j e c t s a n d w i r e t h a t c r e -

o r T w i n C i t i e s arts enthusiasts traveling t o t h e site f o r t h e

ated irregular t a p p i n g a n d t i n k l i n g s o u n d s , a r t i c u l a t i n g

day—cross the catacomb's threshold and enter into a

t h e natural acoustics o f t h e cave) m i x e d w i t h t h e voices

l a b y r i n t h o f visual a n d s o u n d e x p e r i e n c e s . It is in t h e

f r o m t h e v i d e o t a p e d i n t e r v i e w s . T h e sculptures

them-

cave's u n d e r w o r l d o f possibilities that t h e m o s t p o w e r f u l

selves e x h i b i t e d a delicate n o t i o n o f balance, since t h e

t r a n s f o r m a t i v e leap is t a k e n by S e n n ' s s p e c t a t o r s . W i t h

b e a t e r s ( m a d e f r o m c h o p s t i c k s s u s p e n d e d by m o n o f i l a -

care a n d c o n s i d e r a t i o n , S e n n h e l p s t h e m e x p e r i e n c e a

m e n t ) m o v e d b e c a u s e o f m i n u t e impulses f r o m s u b h a r -

p a r t i c u l a r i z e d past full o f p o w e r f u l m e a n i n g in t h e local

m o n i c e l e c t r o n i c f e e d b a c k loops: a c h a o t i c

individual a n d collective m e m o r i e s .

pendulum

m e c h a n i s m . T h e physical p r i n c i p l e was as i n t r i g u i n g as the

sounds

that

were

c r e a t e d . As

viewers

moved

A CRITICAL AND CULTURAL

t h r o u g h t h e cave, t h e y e n c o u n t e r e d shifts f r o m t h e s p o -

Stephen Wilson

PERSPECTIVE

has

written

elabo-

ken sounds o n the m o n i t o r s to the acoustic and elec-

rately o n t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p o f critical a n d c u l t u r a l t h e -

tronic

o r y t o a r t t h a t uses e m e r g i n g t e c h n o l o g i e s . In

sounds

the

instruments,

the

natural

r e v e r b e r a t i o n o f t h e cave itself.

paper "Light and D a r k Visions," he surveys

Balance was also a c o n c e r n in l i g h t i n g t h e cave space. As S e n n

explains,

"Floor-posi-

several

t h e m e s f r o m critical t h e o r y a n d c u l t u r a l s t u d i e s

and

suggests that s o m e o f t h e critical a n d cultural c o n f u -

t i o n e d lights w e r e used in t h e f r o n t half [of t h e cave]

s i o n t h a t exists in t h e f i e l d o f a r t a n d

t o p u s h light u p w a r d t o w a r d v i d e o m o n i t o r s

derives f r o m the m a n y different stances that

placed

his

technology artists

o n shelves, a n d gallery-like spots w e r e p l a c e d in h i g h

have t a k e n in t h e past r e g a r d i n g a e s t h e t i c issues. O n e

p o s i t i o n s t o i l l u m i n a t e t h e sculptural i n s t r u m e n t s

stance, h o w e v e r , t h a t serves t o clarify this c o n f u s i o n is

t h e s e c o n d half." 7

w h e n " [ t h e artist] seeks t o e n t e r i n t o t h e h e a r t o f t h e

As they r e s p o n d e d t o t h e physical c h a r -

i n v e n t i v e process t o h e l p e l a b o r a t e t h e c u l t u r e

acteristics a n d a m b i e n t c o n d i t i o n s o f t h e site, Senn's s p e c -

f o r m i n g possibilities o f t h e n e w t e c h n o l o g i e s . " 9

tators t o o k a j o u r n e y n o t unlike the h e r o in J o s e p h C a m p b e l l ' s seminal w o r k The Hero with a Thousand

trans-

In its c a p a c i t y t o r e p r o d u c e a r t e n d -

Faces.

lessly, t e c h n o l o g y has also c h a n g e d t h e ways in w h i c h art

C a m p b e l l ' s n o t i o n o f a "call to a d v e n t u r e " i n f o r m s t h e

is v i e w e d . In " A r t in t h e A g e o f M e c h a n i c a l R e p r o d u c -

j o u r n e y o f e x p l o r i n g S e n n ' s cave i n s t a l l a t i o n . O n e is

tion," Walter

r e m i n d e d o f C a m p b e l l ' s h e r o " [ g o i n g ] f o r w a r d until h e

decreased the i m p o r t a n c e of presence and " a u r a " in

c o m e s t o t h e ' t h r e s h o l d g u a r d i a n ' at t h e e n t r a n c e t o t h e

w o r k s o f a r t . 1 0 W i t h t h e c r e a t i o n o f The Catacombs

zone of magnified power."

Senn's

heroes—whether

local f a r m e r s i n f o r m e d o f t h e event by w o r d - o f - m o u t h

Yucatan Sound

Benjamin

notes

that

and Video Installation,

technology

has of

D a n S e n n restores

the i m p o r t a n c e of presence and aura by t r a n s f o r m i n g the role of t e c h n o l o g y b e y o n d traditional venues of

( b e l o w ) Dan Senn, The Catacombs

of Yucatan

Sound

and Video

Installation,

r e c e p t i o n . In S e n n ' s w o r k , t e c h n o l o g y is i n c o r p o r a t e d

video images of people who frequented the cave in 1934—1935.

i n t o a n a t u r a l e n v i r o n m e n t a n d e m e r g e s as a n a g e n t f o r

Photos by Dan Senn

negotiating a m u c h broader meaning for the experience

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING.

that its playfulness a n d u n i n t e n d e d m e a n i n g allows f o r unrestricted and manifold interpretation."13 W i t h The Catacombs ofYucatan Sound and Video Installation,

D a n S e n n has a w a k e n e d a r e n e w e d

spirit o f t h o u g h t a n d a d v e n t u r e t h r o u g h a u n i q u e p u b l i c art e n d e a v o r . H i s a c c o m p l i s h m e n t is an inventive e l a b o r a t i o n o f n e w t e c h n o l o g i e s a n d t h e i r cultural possibilities as art practice. POSTSCRIPT

Catacomb Installation

of Yucatan

Sound

and

Video

was s h o w n in O c t o b e r 1 9 9 5 as p a r t o f a

M c K n i g h t Visiting C o m p o s e r F e l l o w s h i p a d m i n i s t e r e d by t h e A m e r i c a n C o m p o s e r s F o r u m . A d o c u m e n t a r y v i d e o e n t i t l e d The Catacombs Installation

(NTSC VHS-HIFI)

ofYucatan

Sound and Video

is available f o r t h i r t y dollars

from Newsense Intermedium, 4218 North Dan Senn, The Catacombs Simple

Pendulyre

ofYucatan

Sound

and Video

T a c o m a , WA 9 8 4 0 7 . Catacombs

Installation,

before installation, 1995.

Memories,

Cheyenne,

a subsequent

gallery installation o f v i d e o a n d s o u n d m a t e r i a l s f r o m

Photo by Dan Senn

S e n n ' s p r o j e c t , w a s e x h i b i t e d at t h e L e o p o l d

Hoesch

M u s e u m in D i i r e n , G e r m a n y , w h e r e it r e c e i v e d First o f t h e v i e w e r - l i s t e n e r — o n e associated w i t h an e x p e r i -

P r i z e ( $ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ) in t h e b i e n n i a l e x h i b i t i o n , Paper

e n c e t h a t is n e i t h e r t r a n s p o r t a b l e n o r r e p r o d u c i b l e .

Electric

Senn's interest in t h e v i e w e r - l i s t e n e r as

Paper.

It w i l l s o o n

travel t o A r i z o n a

State

U n i v e r s i t y in T e m p e . D a n Senn's p r o j e c t s a n d w r i t i n g s

a d y n a m i c e l e m e n t in his w o r k dates b a c k t o his active

are o n his W e b site: w w w . n e w s e n s e - i n t e r m e d i u m . c o m .

recruitment of concert audiences for n e w music while

For more information

on this project visit

www.forecastart.org.

at t h e U n i v e r s i t y of Illinois. T h e r e h e d e l i g h t e d in dist r i b u t i n g fliers t o l a b o r u n i o n s a n d r e t i r e m e n t h o m e s ,

David Means is an active composer, performer, sound artist, educator and

b e l i e v i n g t h a t b r o a d - b a s e d e x p o s u r e t o c o m p l e x art

lecturer in new music, public art, and the intermedia arts. His works have

w o u l d b r i n g a b o u t a " h u m a n society [that] is i r r e t r i e v -

been exhibited and performed throughout the world.

ably a n d positively s h i f t e d by w h a t is t r u e . " 1 1 T h e qualities S e n n seeks in p r o d u c i n g w h a t h e calls " e p h e m e r a l p u b l i c a r t " are g r o u n d e d i n a n o n e l i t i s t yet s o p h i s t i c a t e d sense o f playfulness:

9. S t e p h e n W i l s o n , " L i g h t a n d D a r k

C u l t u r a l T h e o r y to A r t T h a t Uses E m e r g i n g Technologies,"

3. See R o s Bandt's W e b site:

volunteer

their

help,

s o m e t i m e s in large n u m b e r . • T h e e v e n t [is] free to the public a n d f u n d e d in advance.

S e n n believes " t h e r e is n o c o r r e c t a u d i e n c e f o r w h a t is o f t e n m i s u n d e r s t o o d t o b e elitist art,

Show Catalog ( N e w York:

farben.latrobe.edu.au/mikropol/gall

Association f o r C o m p u t i n g

ery.html.

M a c h i n e r y , 1992).

4. See t h e B u c h e n s ' W e b site:

10. Walter B e n j a m i n , " A r t in t h e

www.users.interport.net/~sonarc/

Age of Mechanical Reproduction,"

playgrounds-parks.html#ps244.

Illuminations

11. D a n S e n n , " P e n d u l u m - b a s e d

a.html.

i n s t r u m e n t s , percussive video, s o u n d art, and t h e p e r m a n e n c e o f

6. D a n S e n n , " T h e C a t a c o m b s o f

expressive

Installation," American

observer

Yet, art w h i c h s m a r t l y plays t h e ' f o o l ' c a n

( N e w York: S c h o c k e n ,

www.d.umn.edu/~lbrush/lbarchives

Yucatan S o u n d a n d V i d e o

attach

SIG-

Proceedings:Art

w w w . k n m . c o m . a u / b o l or

e x p e r i m e n t a l art, f o r n o n - m e t a p h o r i c art is p r o t e a n a n d uniquely

92 Visual

5. See Leif Brush's W e b site:

non-metaphoric.12

which

GRAPH

1966).

• T h e art o r p e r f o r m a n c e [is] messageless a n d

any

have a p o w e r f u l i m p a c t o n society f o r t h e s i m p l e reason

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING. SUMMER. 00

Faces ( P r i n c e t o n : P r i n c e t o n

Expression

[per-

untried.

ways

Thousand

U n i v e r s i t y Press, 1949), 7 7 .

Visions:The Relationship of

f o r m a n c e o r i n s t a l l a t i o n ] [is] h e r e t o f o r e

Vision: Reflections on the Nature and

2. Ibid., 3.

• T h e p r o p o s e d use of t h e l o c a t i o n

people

Transformative

( B o u l d e r : S h a m b h a l a , 1975), 1.

c u r i o u s l y attractive.

• Non-arts

1 .Jose Argiielles, The

History of Human

• T h e l o c a t i o n o f t h e e v e n t [is] u n u s u a l a n d

8 . J o s e p h C a m p b e l l , The Hero with a

Notes:

e p h e m e r a l p u b l i c art," Organised Sound 2, n o . 3 : 160.

Composers

Forum Newsletter, 2 3 , n o . 1 (1996).

12.Ibid.

7. Ibid.

13.Ibid.

SOUNDING SPACES, ACOUSTIC WORLD AUSTRALIAN S O U N D DESIGNS

Ros

Bandt

HE DESIGN OF SOUND IN PUBLIC ART IS A NEW AND BURGEONING FIELD WITH MANY INVENTIVE

practitioners in Australia. M a n y Australian artists are f o c u s i n g o n t h e sense o f

h e a r i n g as a p o w e r f u l t o o l a n d addressing t h e e y e - e a r relationship in n e w ways that give status t o acoustic p h e n o m e n a . Essential c r i t e r i a are t h e c h o i c e o f a c o u s t i c space, t h e a m b i e n t noise, t h e relationship b e t w e e n t h e i n d o o r a n d o u t d o o r , t h e p u b l i c access, t h e c h o i c e o f s o u n d s a n d t h e i r c o n f i g u r a t i o n , t h e speaker p l a c e m e n t , a n d t h e social, c u l tural, a n d artistic n e e d s o f t h e w o r k itself. T h e c h o i c e s m a d e by e a c h artist reflect o n t h e success o f t h e p i e c e a n d t h e d e g r e e o f t r a n s f o r m a t i o n t h a t takes place. T h e w o r k s discussed b e l o w are individual solutions t o t h e c h a l l e n g i n g " s o u n d i n g " o f p u b l i c art. It is t h e c h a l l e n g e o f m e t a m o r p h o s i n g a c o n t e x t i n t o a n e w acoustic w o r l d . T h i s article l o o k s at t h e i m p a c t o f site o n t h e design o f p u b l i c a r t w o r k s a n d h o w t h e p u b l i c is i n t e g r a t e d i n t o e x p e r i e n c i n g t h e w o r k . T h e r e l a t i o n s h i p o f acoustic art to t h e acoustic space is necessarily t i g h t a n d i n t e r d e p e n d e n t . O n e c a n c h a n g e t h e f o r m o f t h e o t h e r . T h e d e s i g n e d s o u n d can b e reflected, w a r p e d , a b s o r b e d , filtered, d r o w n e d o u t , o r e n h a n c e d by t h e space. T h e p o s i t i o n o f t h e listeners in relation t o t h e a r t w o r k â&#x20AC;&#x201D; t h e i r proximity, e n g a g e m e n t , pathway, a n d d e g r e e o f f r e e d o m t o e n g a g e w i t h t h e space a n d in s o m e cases c h a n g e itâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;is t h e critical feature. Australian s o u n d designers have p i o n e e r e d interactive systems that allow t h e p e r c e i v e r - l i s t e n e r t o t r i g g e r o r c o n t r o l t h e w o r k in a n u m b e r o f ways. V i d e o systems such as t h e 3 DIS P e r c e p t i v e Systems, 1 9 8 9 , allow t h e space t o b e p r o g r a m m e d t o b e set o f f b y t h e a u d i e n c e . Sensors, c o m p u t e r - c o n trolled playback systems, a n d e l e c t r o n i c devices such as t h e Sensorlab a n d

MIDI

systems

have also b e e n a d a p t e d t o allow t h e p u b l i c i n t o t h e w o r k . Les G i l b e r t , artistic d i r e c t o r o f S o u n d D e s i g n S t u d i o a n d M a g i a n , was o n e o f t h e first to p i o n e e r c h a n g i n g interfaces f o r p u b l i c a r t w o r k s d e s i g n e d t o r e s p o n d t o a n d b e t r i g g e r e d by t h e p r e s e n c e o f t h e a u d i e n c e . His design interfaces u s i n g e n v i r o n m e n t a l a n d c o m p u t e r controllers allowed m a n y o t h e r w i s e static s o u n d e n v i r o n m e n t s t o flow a n d c h a n g e w i t h t h e n u m b e r o f p e o p l e p r e s e n t , t h e t i m e o f day, t h e w e a t h e r , o r a n y o t h e r criteria h e c h o s e t o p r o g r a m . Since his early pieces in t h e 1980s, h e has d e s i g n e d large p u b l i c a r t w o r k s in m a n y locations, i n c l u d i n g t h e S y d n e y a n d O s a k a a q u a r i u m s a n d p u b l i c e x h i b i t i o n spaces t h r o u g h o u t A m e r i c a a n d Italy. In M e l b o u r n e , Southgate,

Gilbert's

p e r m a n e n t o u t d o o r s o u n d installation, is installed o n t h e p r o m e n a d e o f t h e Y a r r a R i v e r .

H e has t a k e n t h e c o n c e p t o f s o u n d design t o t h e p u b l i c in a v e r y real way. A w i d e v a r i ety ot s o u n d sources f r o m trains t o e x o t i c animals t o e t h n i c m u s i c c a n b e h e a r d f r o m speakers cleverly installed o n t h e p e r m a n e n t railing a l o n g t h e river's edge. A n e l a b o r a t e c o m p u t e r - c o n t r o l l e d system d e s i g n e d by G i l b e r t c o n f i g u r e s data sent t o it f r o m sensors a n d e n v i r o n m e n t a l m e a s u r i n g devices. T h i s i n f o r m a t i o n in t u r n is o r g a n i z e d t o p r o g r a m the sound excerpts to c o m p l e m e n t the changing conditions, b o t h environmental and d e m o g r a p h i c . In this way, t h e p u b l i c is u n k n o w i n g l y h e l p i n g t o craft t h e s o u n d s t h e y are h e a r i n g by their v e r y p r e s e n c e a n d m o v e m e n t a l o n g t h e c o n c o u r s e . P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING. SUMMER. 00

carved into the w o o d and sandstone, and

aboriginal

o c h e r , h u m a n hair, crab claws, a n d seeds are i m p l a n t e d in glass a p e r t u r e s o n s o m e o f t h e c o l u m n s . Visually s t u n n i n g , this installation is o n e of t h e m o s t p o w e r f u l pieces o f A u s t r a l i a n p u b l i c art b e c a u s e it u n i t e s a n c i e n t a n d m o d e r n cultural c o n c e r n s in a v e r y real way. T h e soft voices o f t h e aboriginal p e o p l e have t o b e listened t o in a f o c u s e d way by m o v i n g u p to, a r o u n d , a n d against t h e c o l u m n s as if in an acoustic forest. T h r o u g h t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n o f s o u n d a n d t h e necessity t o f o c u s in this noisy place, t h e entire space seems t o change, a n d o n e is swept b a c k t o t h e r o o t s o f A u s t r a l i a n c u l t u r e , l o n g ago. T h i s installation, w h i c h is accessible t w e n t y - f o u r h o u r s a day, heralds t h e e n t i r e M u s e u m o f Sydney, o n e o f t h e f e w acoustically designed buildings in t h e w o r l d . D u e to t h e insight o f t h e architect, Peter E m m e t t , t h e r e are several s o u n d installations traversing m u l t i p l e levels o f t h e b u i l d i n g a n d carefully g u i d i n g t h e ear in u n i q u e ways. Emmett's

work

another

Sydney

m u s e u m , t h e H y d e Park Barracks, b r o u g h t a b o u t a c o m plete acoustic restoration of t h e original b u i l d i n g a n d t h e c o m m i s s i o n i n g o f an i n t e r a c t i v e installation r e s e a r c h e d by w r i t e r Paul C a r t e r . T h i s i n d o o r p u b l i c a r t w o r k , Named (above) Janet Laurence and Fiona Foley, The Edge of the

Trees,

in the Margin (1991), is set i n t h e prison's original sleeping

Museum of Sydney Forecourt, 1995.

q u a r t e r s , a r o o m full o f h a m m o c k s that seems h a u n t e d

Photo by J. Plaza, courtesy Museum of Sydney

with the long-ago presence of the convicted inmates. ( b e l o w ) Stephanie Outridge-Field.Tim Woodcock, and Michael Whelen, The Harmony

Gardens

Sound

Sculpture,

C a r t e r selected sixteen texts f r o m official p r i s o n records

Brisbane, Queensland, 1988.

that dealt w i t h the silencing of the inmates. H e t h e n

Photo by Ros Bandt

d e s i g n e d t h e s e texts t o i n t e r r e l a t e p o l y p h o n i c a l l y a n d Sounds waft f r o m the lower walkway to

t h e u p p e r walkway, f r o m cafe to cafe. S o u n d is in t h e air in a subtle tapestry that alerts t h e p u b l i c t o a p r e s e n c e apart f r o m t h e a m b i e n t s o u n d o f e c h o i n g footsteps, c a f e chatter, a n d t h e o d d h o r n s a n d whistles f r o m ferries a n d steamers t a k i n g tourists u p a n d d o w n t h e river. G i l b e r t has successfully m e r g e d t h e d e s i g n e d w i t h t h e actual in a subtle way at this v e n u e . T h e p i e c e is a c h a m e l e o n , challenging

traditional

notions

of public

art as its

p e r i m e t e r s are constantly c h a n g i n g a n d dissolving. T h e r e is little t o see, b u t t i m e u n f u r l s m a n y d i f f e r e n t e x p e r i e n c e s in this w o r k . A c o n t r a s t i n g p i e c e is t h e large s c u l p 24

tural installation, The Edge of the Trees, by s c u l p t o r J a n e t L a u r e n c e a n d a b o r i g i n a l artist F i o n a Foley in t h e o u t d o o r f o r e c o u r t o f t h e M u s e u m o f S y d n e y . T h i s site is n o w a noisy u r b a n p r e c i n c t , b u t it is historically significant as a site o f c o l o n i z a t i o n in A u s t r a l i a : t h e first A u s t r a l i a n G o v e r n m e n t H o u s e was b u i l t o n it. T h e artists have e r e c t e d large, t o w e r i n g obelisks m a d e f r o m natural a n d u r b a n materials. Speakers installed inside c o n t a i n r e c o r d ings o f t h e n a m e s o f t h e o r i g i n a l E o r a inhabitants. Latin inscriptions f r o m the original botanical register

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING. SUMMER. 00

are

c o n t r a p u n t a l l y in d i f f e r e n t c o n f i g u r a t i o n s a n d d i r e c t e d

actors to r e c o r d this p o l y p h o n i c impression. A l o n g w i t h S o u n d D e s i g n S t u d i o , C a r t e r installed t h e s e r e c o r d e d texts t o r e s p o n d t o a u d i e n c e pathways t h r o u g h t h e r o o m . T h e s o u n d s o n e hears d e p e n d s o n w h i c h d o o r w a y o n e e n t e r s , h o w l o n g o n e stays in t h e space, a n d w h a t o n e d o e s w h i l e in t h e r e (listeners are w e l c o m e to lie o n t h e h a m m o c k s ) . M u s e u m s in Australia are b r o a d e n i n g their b o u n d a r i e s , a n d c a n b e m a j o r sites a n d c o n t e x t s

for

acoustic art; b o t h t h e I m m i g r a t i o n M u s e u m a n d T r e a s u r y Place in M e l b o u r n e have also e n g a g e d s o u n d artists. In Australia, t h e r e has b e e n a history o f public art in t h e f o r m of playable s o u n d sculptures.

Winds

& Circuits and Surfaces & Cavities (1977), m y first i n t e r a c tive installation o f acoustic a n d a m p l i f i e d w i r e coat h a n g ers, TV sets, a n d a m a z e , was d e s i g n e d to allow t h e p u b l i c t o set it off by t o u c h i n g a n d playing large m o b i l e s o f susp e n d e d coat hangers, w h i c h altered t h e visuals a n d t h e a m p l i f i c a t i o n o f t h e e l e c t r o n i c s o u n d in t h e space. In 1 9 8 1 , 1 built t h e Sound Playground, a large t w o - s t o r y t e m porary sculpture with eighteen instruments tuned m i c r o tonally like a giant percussion orchestra, in a p u b l i c p a r k in B r u n s w i c k , V i c t o r i a . O v e r t h e f o l l o w i n g year, I gave fifty f r e e w o r k s h o p s at t h e site, a n d m a n y c o m m u n i t y g r o u p s used t h e w o r k f o r f r e e m u s i c play o n a regular basis. In 1990, H e r b e r t J e r c h e r , w h o m I e m p l o y e d t o h e l p

Herbert Jercher, Sound Trailer,

Melbourne, 1990.

Photo by Ros Bandt

install t h e p l a y g r o u n d , e x t e n d e d t h e n o t i o n i n t o a m o b i l e

his w o r k s h o p s . T h e fact that t h e w o r k was site specific in

s o u n d trailer, w h i c h h e t o o k a r o u n d to various locations.

t h e case of t h e Sound Playground a n d p o r t a b l e in t h e case

T h i s was a s m a r t m o v e f o r a noisy o b j e c t , since it c o u l d

o f t h e Sound Trailer i n f l u e n c e d t h e k i n d o f w o r k d o n e a n d

b e closed u p a n d l o c k e d o r u n f o l d e d i n t o a v a r i e t y o f

t h e k i n d o f users t o w h o m e a c h a r t w o r k was accessible.

c o n f i g u r a t i o n s a n d settings f o r p u b l i c s o u n d play d u r i n g

E l e m e n t s o f t h e Sound

Playground

were

i m i t a t e d a n d installed all over Australia in m a n y l o c a t i o n s , m o s t l y by p u b l i c city councils. In Q u e e n s l a n d , t h e c o m m u n i t y p r o j e c t Harmony

Gardens Sound Sculpture (1988) is

a large g r o u p o f p a n e l e d p e r c u s s i o n i n s t r u m e n t s d e s i g n e d a n d installed by t h r e e artists, a sculptor, a ceramist, a n d a m u s i c adviser, w i t h t h e aid o f a g r o u p o f visually i m p a i r e d p e o p l e . M a n y c o m m u n i t y arts p r o j e c t s in t h e 1970s u s e d this m o d e l o f w o r k i n g w i t h c o m m u n i t y o r special interest g r o u p s , b u t f e w have b e e n o f such lasting s i g n i f i c a n c e . T h e Sound Playground a n d Harmony

Gardens p r o v i d e t h e p u b l i c

w i t h a r t w o r k s t h a t t h e y c a n e x p l o r e fully in t h e i r o w n t i m e a n d space a n d in t h e i r o w n way. T h e d e g r e e o f i n t e r activity a n d e n g a g e m e n t in these w o r k s surpasses all o t h -

ers, as d o e s t h e j o y t h e y p r o d u c e in p r o v i d i n g t h e creative experience of c o m p o s i n g and playing o n e s o w n s o u n d and improvising with other people. In N o v e m b e r 1999, t h e C o n t e m p o r a r y M u s i c Events c o m p a n y en g ag ed curator-cellist Julia R y d e r t o i m p l e m e n t h e r c o n c e p t o f Recent Ruins nineteenth-century Victorian

house and

at t h e

gardens

R i p p o n l e a in M e l b o u r n e , V i c t o r i a . I n s p i r e d b y

Italo

Calvino's b o o k . Invisible Cities, R y d e r invited five s o u n d P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING. SUMMER. 00

seating about eight people and overlooking the most g o r g e o u s views was fitted o u t w i t h Burt's impressionistic piece. Summerlake

d e r i v e d f r o m t h e digitization of s w a m p

h e n s , blackbirds, ducks, a n d wattlebirds, w h o s e r h y t h m s inspired a n d c o n t r o l l e d t h e s e q u e n c e a n d n a t u r e of t h e sonic events. B u r t d e v e l o p e d a c o m p u t e r software p r o g r a m t o effect this. "I realized that m y c h o i c e of s o u n d s w o u l d have t o fit in w i t h their desiresâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a f o r m o f ' c l i e n t sensitive a r c h i t e c t u r e , ' " B u r t explains in t h e e x h i b i t i o n catalogue. R a i n e r Linz's i n t e n t i o n in Internet

Sky

was " t o b u i l d a city w i t h i n a city, a n d to paint its sky w i t h s o u n d . To this e n d , all o f t h e s o u n d s u s e d are literally taken f r o m t h e air in t h e f o r m o f data a n d satellite transmission r e c o r d e d f r o m a s h o r t w a v e radio." Five elegant bird boxes, separated a l o n g o n e of t h e w a l k i n g paths a n d almost u n n o t i c e a b l e , c o n t a i n e d these s o u n d s , subtle, artificial w o r l d s quietly c h e e p i n g away. Peggy West-Moreland, Steve Kele,

In all, t h e five installations c o n t r i b u t e d

George Cain, and David Thomas, The Singing

u n u s u a l acoustic articulations o f a p u b l i c space that is so

Ship, Emu Park, Queensland, 1970.

b e a u t i f u l a n d vast in its o w n r i g h t . It is also d e a r t o

Photo by Ros Bandt

M e l b o u r n i a n s , w h o g o t h e r e f o r historical interest, f o r artists t o r e s p o n d t o this historic site. She was interested

m a r r i a g e c e r e m o n i e s , f o r c o n c e r t s . Visitors t o R i p p o n l e a

in s e e i n g h o w e a c h s o u n d artist w o u l d r e s p o n d t o t h e

w o u l d n o t e x p e c t t o b e e n g a g e d in acoustic p u b l i c art.

same place, c h o o s e a specific site w i t h i n it, a n d d e f i n e t h e

H o w e v e r , Recent

p r o c e s s o f d e s i g n i n g a s p e c i f i c s o u n d i n s t a l l a t i o n . All

e n j o y e d b y t h o u s a n d s o f p e o p l e . T h e n o v e l p u b l i c art

installations ran c o n t i n u o u s l y f o r a w e e k as p u b l i c art.

v e n u e m a d e it all t h e m o r e i n t r i g u i n g .

Fate.

and

t i o n s t h r o u g h satellite links a n d t h e W e b

encouraged

H e r e , h e i n s t a l l e d l o u d e r - t h a n - l i f e , r e c o r d e d , stylized

artists t o w o r k in invisible d o m a i n s . T h e b o u n d a r i e s o f

u t t e r a n c e s a n d actions o f birds a n d r o d e n t s causing t h e

public art are n o l o n g e r as physically d e f i n e d as they w e r e

listener t o q u e s t i o n t h e p r e s e n c e of t h e real a n d t h e arti-

in t h e 1970s, w h e n large-scale o b j e c t sculpture m a d e a

ficial, since real birds c o u l d a n d did fly t h r o u g h this large,

strong and obvious presence. Peggy West-Moreland's

o p e n , e x o t i c canopy.

aeolian piece, The Singing Ship (1970), o n t h e coast at t h e

I c h o s e t h e stables f o r m y s o u n d installat i o n , Equus: A Sonic Archeology, Endangered

Species No

Stories a n d f r a g m e n t s of t h e history o f t h e stables, i n c l u d -

was v e r y w e l l r e c e i v e d

In t h e 1990s, t h e i m m a t e r i a l c o n n e c -

T h e c o m p u t e r c o m p o s e r Steve A d a m c h o s e t h e f e r n e r y f o r his Hidden Cities 3â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Marozia's

Ruins

T r o p i c of C a p r i c o r n , Q u e e n s l a n d , is a lasting m e m o r y o f an earlier p u b l i c art's i n v e s t m e n t in visual f o r m a n d largescale principles.

i n g a fire a n d a n e a r m u r d e r , w e r e c o m b i n e d w i t h virtual

T h e w o r k s d e s c r i b e d in this article s h o w

d r e a m s o f horses r a c i n g o n O l y m p i a in a n c i e n t G r e e c e

b o t h a g r o w i n g sophistication in t h e n o t i o n o f p u b l i c art

a n d t h e plastic a n d real s o u n d s o f all t y p e s o f h o r s e -

a n d a n e w sensitivity in t h e ways artists are d e s i g n i n g f o r

d r a w n vehicles, old cars, a n d airplanes. T h e s o u n d s w e r e

acoustic spaces in o r d e r t o attract t h e public t h e y w a n t .

e m i t t e d f r o m large c e r a m i c p r e s e r v i n g u r n s i m p l a n t e d

T h e s e artists are aware that t h e s o u n d i n g o f spaces has

w i t h speakers, o n e in e a c h o f t h e h o r s e stalls a m o n g s t t h e

i m p a c t , a n d t h e y have d e v o t e d t h e i r lives t o d e s i g n i n g

o r i g i n a l harnesses a n d coaches.

a n d installing n e w acoustic w o r l d s f o r t h e p u b l i c t o e n j o y

Brigid B u r k e installed h e r piece, Muted Harmony,

The

in t h e rose g a r d e n . T w o sculptural chairs

in m a n y different ways. For more information on sound projects in Australia and to

m a d e f r o m p a i n t e d glass a n d w o o d w e r e installed in t h e

read an excerpt from Ros Bandt's book S o u n d S c u l p t u r e visit

g a r d e n itself, w h i l e t h e s o u n d s , d e r i v e d f r o m f r a g m e n t e d

wuwforecastart. org.

clarinet, glass, water, s p e e c h , a n d d o u b l e bass, c a m e f r o m speakers placed in t h e g a r d e n beds. Warren Burt chose the summerhouse, w h i c h is o n an island o n a lake. T h i s small o p e n r o t u n d a Public A r t R e v i e w . SPRING. SUMMER. 00

Ros Bandt is an internationally acclaimed sound artist, composer, and scholar. Sound

Sculpture,

with audio CD, will be published by Craftsman

House, Fine Arts Press, in April 2000.

PROFILE

SOUNDING PLACES: WORKS BY RON KUIVILA Benjamin Chadabe • • •

( b e l o w ) Ron Kuivila,

Visitations,

T h e tradition of performing with musical instruments in c o n -

through the two wires, creating a shower of sparks near the

cert halls is centuries old. While this m o d e of performance

water. T h e watches c h i m i n g at staggered intervals and the

may be considered a temporary installation to guide an audi-

occasional display of sparks created an impression that the

ence on a sonic journey in time, artists have been developing

steadiness of the clock tower was breaking up.

different approaches recently, based on a vast array of possible alternative interactions between instruments and the spaces

T h e other two sections of Kuivila's installation consisted of a

they excite.

circle on the tower that was illuminated in blue light so that it would become the blue m o o n on the horizon, and a grid of

Sound sculpture installations are built by artists to be appreci-

linoleum tiles that triggered pitches, organized in scales of

ated both as sculpture and as musical events. C o n n e c t i c u t -

fifths, w h e n they were stepped on. In association with the

based artist and professor R o n Kuivila takes the stimuli

scales was a program that played patterns in response to the

inherent in the locations of his installations and uses them to

movements on the linoleum grid. T h r o u g h their interaction

engage the spectators' relationship with sound. II Giardino di

with the grid, players could see h o w the pitches were being

Babele, a work commissioned for the 1990 Soccer World C u p

d e t e r m i n e d ; as more players j o i n e d in, the sounds o f t e n

in Florence, Italy, was centered around an old clock tower in

became incoherent and the players agitated.

the Piazza Poggi, which was once part of the city gate. For one section of the work Kuivila created a garden in which

Kuivila's Visitations, an ongoing work initially conceived for

360 digital watches were set to go off in staggered hourly pat-

the Lingotto Fiat factory in Turin, Italy, is now developing in

terns starting at nightfall. T h e watches were suspended over a

Building 7 of the Massachusetts M u s e u m of C o n t e m p o r a r y

p o n d and protected by two wires that bordered the pond.

Art

W h e n spectators approached the p o n d , they disturbed an

work will be installed throughout the museum. As Kuivila has

infrared m o t i o n sensor that sent twelve thousand volts

noted, " O n e f u n d a m e n t a l t h e m e that has e m e r g e d in my

(MASS MOCA)

in N o r t h Adams, Massachusetts. T h e final

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING.SUMMER.00

PROFILE

Ron Kuivila, Building

12, interior

[below] Ron Kuivila, Building

installation view o f ' H o t House,"

12,

facade installation view of

1998.

"Spark Harp," 1998.

Photo by Laura Steward Heon

stories Sprague workers have told me about their lives at Sprague Electric and the stories Sprague Electric told its workers about their lives at Sprague. Kuivila's work interacts with the environment in a way that is challenging, meaningful, and accessible for his audience. They can see the sculptures and sound-generating devices that c o m pose the installations, and f r o m this i n f o r m a t i o n they can readily identify the art objects and interpret their significance in relation to the surroundings. Kuivila reacts to the social impacts of his sites and then creates installations as a reflection of those reactions. R e c e n t sounding artwork installations such as Kuivila's suggest new relationships between sound and its environment. Sound is being viewed increasingly as a medium on a par with other arts and no longer simply associated with music. As our perception of sound evolves, thanks to these and other pioneering works, so will the potential for art that engages all of our senses, not just the receptors found on either side of our nose. For more information visit unpw.forecastart.org. Benjamin Chadabe is currently the associate executive director of Electronic Music Foundation. H e has performed and recorded with poets, sculptors, and dancers, and has taken part in many multimedia collaborations.

recent work is a kind of confrontation between pure acoustical ideas and more socially derived issues." This theme is evident in Visitations. MASS MoCA resides in the buildings of the f o r m e r Sprague Electronics, in its time one of the country's largest producers of

electronic

components. The

MASS MoCA

version

Visitations incorporates audio reminders of Sprague: factory sounds, sounds of Sprague radio, and interviews by Kuivila with f o r m e r Sprague workers. All of these sounds, along with Kuivila's recent c o m p u t e r - g e n e r a t e d sounds, are played on loudspeakers in the alley next to Building 7, b e t w e e n Buildings 7 and 5. As you move up and down the length of the alley, the sound from each adjacent loudspeaker becomes clearer. In the large windows of the building on one side of 28

the alley m o r e than four thousand electrical capacitors are arranged to represent the peak n u m b e r of employees at Sprague. Also situated about the space are large capacitors powering rotary motors on which antennae spin along with c o m m e m o r a t i v e pins indicating Sprague employee tenure. Kuivila's artist statement for Visitations at MASS MoCA reads: Factories are designed for the creation of large numbers. But people have trouble with large n u m bers.They prefer stories. Visitations is an aural portrait of stories and large n u m b e r s based on the P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING.SUMMER.00

SURVEY

RECENT SOUND ART IN JAPAN Yoko Hayashi

( b e l o w l e f t a n d r i g h t ) Paul Demarinis, Pulu Pulu Rope, Park Tower Building,Toyko.

•

Photos by Yoko Hayashi

T h r o u g h o u t history sound has been an important element in

Demarinis suspended two ropes and two S-shaped ramps from

Japanese art. In Japan, we associate the chorus of cicadas with

the atrium's ceiling. Each ramp contained six sections of t w o -

s u m m e r t i m e , while the crying of crickets tells us of the

meter-long, colorful plastic cords suspended between standing

arrival of fall. O n e of our most famous poems, by Basho

metal pipes at a height of one meter. A m o t o r on each of the

Matsuo, is about silence emphasized by the sound of cicadas. T h e sound of shishiodoshi (a garden fountain made of b a m boo that empties water onto stones) is an important element of the traditional Japanese garden. Sound, both artificial and natural, is also an i m p o r t a n t element of c o n t e m p o r a r y Japanese public art.

rope ends made t h e m vibrate and oscillate. These motors, c o n nected in a chaotic feedback circuit, also fed speed i n f o r m a tion through tachometers to a series of computers that were hidden under the ramps.The m o t o r signals were processed by computers and then made audible by

MIDI

synthesizers. T h e

computers composed music in response to the ropes' m o v e ments. T h e musical effects varied from rope to rope and were

Pulu Pulu Rope is the Japanese title of Chaotic Jump Ropes, an

mixed to sound, as Demarinis has described it, like a chorus of

interactive sound sculpture by San Francisco-based sound

animals in a jungle as opposed to the sound of an orchestra

artist Paul Demarinis. Pulu pulu is a Japanese onomatopoeia of vibration. In the spring of 1995, the work was installed in the atrium ofTokyo's Park Tower Building, designed by renowned architect KenzoTange, next to city hall.The multistory atrium of glass and steel is open to the public, but was a rather deserted place. Demarinis's site-specific sound art of vibrating plastic cords, based on the chaos theory, changed the atrium's cold atmosphere. T h e work offered a variety of experiential qualities—visual, musical, tactile, and conceptual—and transf o r m e d the atrium into a playground of sounds that entertained visitors of all ages.

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING. SUMMER. 00

SURVEY Paul Demarinis, Pulu Pulu

Rope,

Park Tower Building,Toyko, 1995. ( b e l o w ) Narumi Shibata, Unerasoble

Sound,

1999.

Photos byYoko Hayashi

technology, fuurin, Japan's traditional wind chime, became a crucial component in the latest sound art project by Flow, a Tokyo-based y o u n g artist group. Flow designed original wind chimes for Fujisawa and Toride City, Japan, as part of a project called Toride R e c y c l i n g Art organized by the Tokyo National University of Art and Music. In Toride City about twenty wind chimes were installed along the street in front of the train station. T h e same n u m b e r were also installed

the

Shonan

Fujisawa

Campus

Keio

University in Fujisawa. Flow then recorded the movements and soundsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;together with the environmental soundsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;of one wind chime at each site and aired them live on the Internet. T h r o u g h their fuurin

project, o n e can feel the

breeze blowing in a remote place without being there in person. T h e harmony of the wired sounds of wind is sound art that can only exist in a cyber world. Yoko Hayashi is an art management consultant and producer of temporary public art in Tokyo and has written for many publications about contemporary art and public art. She teaches arts administration and public art at Shobi-Gakuen University as assistant professor.

c o n d u c t e d by a single person. In a j u n g l e various animals make their own sounds randomly, but the overall effect is still a kind of harmony. Visitors were allowed to touch the vibrating ropes and control the ropes' speed knobs, which caused the motion to become either orderly or chaotic.The degree of order or chaos was reflected by an ever changing variety of pleasant, natural sounds. W h e n the installation was removed after only two months, the atrium looked even more deserted than before, like a Shinto shrine after a festival. Since Pulu Pulu Rope, Demarinis has also created Rain Dance, a water-based sound art installation for the Lisbon Expo. H e is currently w o r k i n g on a piece called 5 Foxhole Radios, a sound artwork that transforms radio waves into audible sounds. While sound art can be large scale and public, it can also be small and intimate. Unerasable Sound by Narumi Shibata is a series of soft sculptures created during a healing art project at a nursing h o m e near M o u n t Fuji last summer. Believing in the therapeutic power of familiar songs, Shibata asked the residents of the nursing h o m e to sing their favorite songs, which she recorded on IC recorders. She then inserted each recording into a cushionlike stuffed object designed specifically for the singer. Each soft sculpture has a switch to turn on and off the IC recorder inside. T h e sculptures, playing each resident's favorite sound memory, are comfortable pillows as well as bedside companions. Sounds of nature, once considered to be transitory and site specific, can be processed as technological art. With Internet

Public A r t R e v i e w . SPRING. SUMMER. 00

EXHIBITION

HIRIYA IN THE MUSEUM

(below) Aerial view of Hiriya with Tel

Mira Engler • • •

Aviv in the background, 1999. Photo courtesy the Beracha Foundation and Tel Aviv Museum of Art

TEL AVIV MUSEUM OF ART

e x h i b i t i o n and s u b s e q u e n t b o o k , Fragile Ecologies, c u r a t e d by

NOVEMBER 17, 1999—JANUARY 20, 2000

Barbara Matilsky at N e w York's Q u e e n s M u s e u m in 1992, c o m piled and d o c u m e n t e d proposed and built reclamation artworks

Hiriya, the n a m e of a n o t o r i o u s garbage d u m p at the outskirts

of damaged ecosystems. Each exhibition represented a timely

of Tel Aviv, has always triggered loathsome grins on people's

artistic approach to disturbed land. T h e Seattle exhibition p r e -

faces.That is, until recently. Hiriya is n o w temporarily a c c o m -

sented artists as m a n i p u l a t o r s of earth and the landscape as a

m o d a t e d in the most prestigious art m u s e u m in

town.

sculpture; the Q u e e n s exhibition granted artists the powers of

N i n e t e e n responses of artists and architects f r o m Israel and

healers and problem solvers and cast the land as a fragile ecosys-

around the world to this highly charged, despicable site c o m -

t e m . T h e Tel Aviv e x h i b i t i o n consists of a w i d e s p e c t r u m o f

prise the e x h i b i t i o n at the Tel Aviv M u s e u m of Art. 1 T h i s

approaches, some carrying the lingering effects of the t w o previ-

i n t e r s e c t i o n of a garbage d u m p and an art m u s e u m have

ous paradigms and others offering n e w directions. O n e of these

attracted curious, diverse, and nontraditional visitors.

n e w directions is to present artists as social critics and the landscape as a mirror or a catalyst for social change.

T h e thirty-five-year-old d u m p , eighty-five meters high and c o v e r i n g 120 acres, was closed in 1998. Its v i s u a l - f o r m a l

Hiriya in the Museum presented exhibition participants with a

p r o m i n e n c e and its central location close to m a j o r highways

double challenge: to respond to the d u m p itself—a landscape

and to the national airport make it Israel's most potent symbol

of extremes and contradictions, dread and fascination, attrac-

of an excessively throwaway c o n s u m e r culture and environ-

tion and r e p u l s i o n — a n d to f o r m a position a b o u t the r e n -

m e n t a l neglect. Dr. M a r t i n Wyle, h e a d of t h e

dezvous of t w o opposites, a d u m p and an art m u s e u m . T h e s e

Beracha

Foundation and f o r m e r director of the Israel M u s e u m , c o n -

u n i q u e conditions required artists to bypass preconceived f o r -

ceived and curated the exhibition h o p i n g to change public

mulas and canonical aesthetics and tap into the extraordinary,

and municipal attitudes toward this ignoble site and to create a

the

dialogue about its design potential. " T h e Hiriya site," writes

Unfortunately, w h e n imagining the fate of Hiriya, s o m e of the

Dr. Wyle in the exhibition catalogue, "by its sheer size and

exhibition artists and designers carried w i t h t h e m the b u r d e n

complex history, by its u n i q u e situation and great public inter-

of society's ecological guilt and considered the d u m p as dis-

est, is an ideal site for the merger of art with public space in

turbance, a problem that requires

such a way that the public space can b e c o m e art."

escapist fantasies, Utopian dreams, or r o m a n t i c " n a t u r a l i s m "

surreal, t h e

bizarre, t h e

fantastic, a n d

fixing.Their

the

abject.

works articulate

that are often inseparable f r o m the societal impulse to t u r n a It is the first time that a landfill is the subject of an entire exhibition in a m a j o r art museum. A noteworthy earlier precedent is the Seattle Art Museum's exhibition and symposium,

Earthworks:

landscape i n t o a c o m m o d i t y — a t h e m e park w h e r e nature, animals, and garbage are packaged as a w e e k e n d e n t e r t a i n m e n t c o m p l e t e w i t h m o n e y - s p e n d i n g opportunities.

Land Reclamation as Sculpture, in w h i c h seven artists were invited to engage a range of degraded landscapes, such as quarries and

T h e brilliant proposal o f A m e r i c a n artist M a r k D i o n a n d

dumps, in King County,Washington, in 1979. M o r e recently, the

British artist Nils N o r m a n lucidly expresses and critiques this

EXHIBITION

(below) Mark Dion and Nils Norman, The Utopian

and the Distopic,

1999.

Photo courtesy the Beracha Foundation and Tel Aviv Museum of Art

idea. Hie Utopian and the Dystopic, represented by two m a n -

restaurants, and, of course, composting areas, filtration systems,

nequins and two commercial billboards, advertise two c o n -

and educational facilities.

trasting t h e m e parks, two impossible fictions: " T h e Hiriya Green Park" and " T h e Hiriya Hotzone: a Biohazard Extreme T h e m e Park Experience." T h e fantastic, Utopian park is represented by a "green guerrilla," a white male dressed in military camouflage pants and vest and a white T-shirt inscribed with a Hiriya Green Park logo.The hellish, cataclysmic, dystopic park is represented by a rat dressed in a protective uniform and gas mask and holding radioactivity detectors.The "good solution" miraculously transforms the site into a sustainable, ecological, and educational Garden of E d e n w h e r e visitors e n c o u n t e r environmentally friendly facilities. T h e "bad solution" sells a

More elegant and reserved yet similarly uncritical is the proposal of Israeli landscape architect Shlomo Aronson. Aronson proposes to create a park titled Birds on a Pin-Cushion, an aviary in the w o m b of the mountain, as a reminder of the many birds that came to feed on the garbage. Alternately, he proposes a Safari wild park called A Green Island in the Dan Zone as an extension of the adjacent R a m a t - G a n Safari. Again, the m o u n tain is transformed into a commodity, an attraction framed by borrowed and palatable imagery that covers up and avoids the more cogent site-specific issues of garbage and consumption.

park of extreme, hazardous experiences where, after signing

T h e impulse to turn the place into "a beautiful giant nature

liability waivers and dressing in protective outfits, visitors can

sculpture," proposed by the team of planners and architects

take rides or stroll in mutated and toxic environments. Both

Plesner, Guggenheim, and Kaplan, simply covers the m o u n -

parks are similarly self-deceiving and absurd. In fact, Dion and

tain with a year-round, red, bursting bougainvillea plant;

Norman's work alludes to and exposes the banality, superfi-

carves an amphitheater at its northwest corner; and surrounds

ciality, and deception of several other exhibition proposals.

it with grand lakes. T h e resultant "natural-looking" landmark

For example, the proposed ecological theme park of American artist M e g Webster crams the mountain with extravagant, all-

tames the extraordinary and serves as amnesia for the buried repugnance, a mere tranquilizer of environmental guilt.

y o u - c a n - t a k e - i n nature, garden, and park experiences. H e r

Also j o i n i n g the utopic tendencies of previous proposals,

Proposal for Hiriya Landfill is replete with a hodgepodge of

Garbage City, the tantalizing proposal of the most renowned

landscape prototypes and recreational groundsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;botanical and

artist in the group, conceptual multimedia artist Vito Acconci,

water gardens, forests and waterfalls, canals, ponds, islands,

transforms the m o u n t a i n into an ecological-technological

m o u n d s , mazes, marshes, canyons, golf courses, cable lifts,

island, a megalomanic, sanitary, controlled, and energy-effi-

EXHIBITION

Shlomo Aronson, Birds on a Pin-Cushion,

model, 1999.

Photo courtesy the Beracha Foundation and Tel Aviv Museum of A r t

cient city. In Acconci's proposal, people live, work, learn, and relax on Hiriya. T h e garbage below powers an energy plant, and marshes clean the contaminated water around the m o u n tain. T h e deception of this fantastically resolved proposal, which is displayed in model f o r m and accompanied by detailed e n g i n e e r i n g drawings and Acconci's mesmerizing voice describing the experience in the city, is evident in the very last sentence of his text. "You live off your city; you never have to leave home," discloses the absurd in this fantasy, the nightmare in this dream. Those w h o bypass the fantasies, the consumerist thrust to cornmodify the dump, and the moral preservationist mission to resurrect nature or an e c o - s o m e t h i n g as a panacea for culture suggest some fresh alternatives. Their interventions at the site are modest and minimal but charged with discursive potential. T h e Israeli artist team of Gal Weinstein, Shai Weinstein, and GilVaadia presents an intriguing and witty work titled Hiriya: A Catalogue of Products. Claiming that art should not be used for healing, that artists should not be considered saviors and Hiriya a wound, and refusing to transform Hiriya once again into a commodity, they deal with the image of Hiriya instead of the site itself. Avoiding any site intervention and letting the place evolve on its own, they propose a consumer catalogue of ordinary domestic products. T h e items are adorned with a Hiriya logo of either fresh garbage, a garbage truck, or Hiriya's own silhouette, slyly earmarking them, too, for some future inclusion in a dump site. Their installation simulates a dining r o o m and living r o o m setting complete with furniture and domestic items from the catalogue. T h e artists have drafted the museum store to take part in their project, as well. It sells shirts and baseball hats from the catalogue.

School for Garbage at Hiriya. In working greenhouses fed by treated wastewater, Geva envisions scientists, experts, business people, and students experimenting with agriculture, garbage, plants, and fish and teaching the practical, social, and philosophical sides of garbage. Ukeles, w h o has worked for more than twenty years in the N e w York arena of garbage and sanitation, would like to see Hiriya as a litmus test for the existential state of Israel's environment, as a center for information

Another critical proposal by Austrian artist Lois Weinberger,

and a stage for conversations about new environmental initia-

Present Time Spaceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Hiriya Dump, programs the site quite m i n -

tives. In her proposal, Evapotraspiration: This Land Lives and

imally and sensitively. Weinberger encourages the growth of

Breathes, four geysers spew colored mist jets from four corners

plant seeds that are accidentally dropped by birds and wind

of the mountain during the day. Various colors, representing

and invites people to create their own paths and playgrounds.

levels of acidic and toxic substances, signal the health status of

" T h i s will be no park. N o park that beautifies everyday

the country's air, water, soil, and plants. At the base of the gey-

annoyances and glosses them over," he writes. H e proposes

sers, stations equipped with electronic i n f o r m a t i o n screens

that an elongated, rectangular-shaped metal structure covered

provide environmental images and data transmitted from the

with glass be built on top of the m o u n t a i n and serve as a

four regions of Israel. At night, lights c o l o r i n g t h e entire

museum, where exhibits, retrieved from the buried mess, free

mountain reflect its own health condition. An eighty-five-

of associations and full of contradictions, will be displayed.

meter long table, equal to the mountain's height, installed on

Weinberger's work captures and exposes a genuine and surreal

top of the plateau provides a place for six hundred people to

portrait of culture and presents the peculiarity and particular-

gather and discuss new ideas for healing the country. Geva's

ity that is specific to the site.

and Ukeles's proposals are both optimistic and educative but not utopic.

Israeli ecological artist Avital Geva and N e w York artist Mierle Laderman Ukeles both engage Hiriya as a tool and a catalyst

Finally, my o w n proposal, Re-Claiming

for healing the environment beyond the site. Geva proposes A

Dump or Four Gestures for Hiriya, builds on four metaphors

Metaphors out of the

P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING.SUMMER.00

EXHIBITION

(below) GalWeinstein.Shai Weinstein, and Gil Vaadia, A Catalogue

of Products,

Hiriya:

1999.

Photo courtesy the Beracha Foundation andTel Aviv Museum of Art

b u r i e d in the garbage m o u n t a i n : mausoleum of entropy,

hand, some art critics dismissed it as a weak performance of

museum of rejects, archive of subconscious depositories, and

"applied art." An architectural critic of a major newspaper

m o n u m e n t of unpleasant necessities. Each metaphor is con-

expressed skepticism about the effectual and operative poten-

ceptually and literally dug out of the d u m p and redeemed.

tial of such an art exhibition making any social or environ-

Each redemption forms a gesture that conspicuously reestab-

mental difference. O n the o t h e r hand, other cultural and

lishes connections between Hiriya and its concurrent cultural

environmental writers blessed the freshness and boldness of

and natural systems. For example, the first gesture releases the

such a daring project. Environmental groups and the Ministry

captivated

the

of the Environment of Israel have endorsed and welcomed the

entombed mausoleum of dead commodities. Safely and con-

processes of d e c o m p o s i t i o n

from inside

exhibition, using it as a public relations tool. Most i m p o r -

spicuously it channels out the dying matter, or its excretion

tantly, following the exhibition, the official government plan-

(i.e. garbage juice), through seven carved leachate fountains

ner of the region declared his conviction and intention to

and into marshes whose tedious labor releases clean water into

involve artists in any future plans for the area.This project has

the Ayalon River. T h e ruins of the old village of Hir are also

shed light on the garbage issue and has changed the image of

reconnected with daylight through a tunnel. And as a museum

Hiriya forever. It has not only contributed to a new sense of

of outcasts, Hiriya is connected through a second gesture to

consciousness but has also served as a critical act through and

o t h e r m u s e u m s of art and culture to which it is inversely

in which the social, economic, and political import of various

related. People of the cities whose garbage gave rise to the

concepts and practices are exposed and challenged.

mountain are invited to extract volumes of garbage from the m o u n t a i n , encase t h e m , and place t h e m in front of their

Mira Engler is an associate professor at Iowa State University. She is a land-

respected museums. This gesture also displays and celebrates

scape architect and designs and writes on waste and marginal landscapes.

the new function of the site as a garbage transfer and recycling station and as a working garbage museum.

Note:

T h e exhibition has been cast as a conscious initiative between

artists w h o were invited to participate, and f r o m younger, lesser k n o w n

art and ecology, a tool to raise public awareness and support

artists (including myself) w h o s e area of inquiry coincides with the subject of

for t u r n i n g around negative feelings about Hiriya and the

the exhibition, u n d e r w e n t the scrutiny of a c o m m i t t e e of respectable

condition of the environment as a whole. N o t surprisingly,

m u s e u m curators. Artists were given n o specific program or limitations.

though, responses to the exhibition were mixed. O n the one

T h e r e is n o obligation or f u n d i n g to realize any of the proposals.

l . T h e proposals, solicited f r o m well-established, intentionally r e n o w n e d

EDUCATION

PUBLIC ART SCHOOL

(below) Patricia Rodriguez,Wes Maas.Alma Lopez, and students.

Suvan Geer • • •

Strawberry

Mural

"las Fruta del

Diablo,"

vpa-csumb, 1997. Photo courtesy VPA-CSUMB.

Public art is still evolving. It has been changing for decades

Artist Mary Miss wonders if public art taught in colleges will

(some might say centuries), transitioning from staid m o n u -

inevitably lead to a calcifying "codification of ideas and prac-

ments, to plaza plops, and into corporate and community des-

tices." Public art, she feels, "is already a field defined and nar-

ignations of place and identity. Increasingly, the public art

rowed

process and the resulting artworks are being shaped by arts

educational programs that neglect art's investigative role or

administrators, urban designers, art agencies, and politicians, all

confuse art for design might produce graduates w h o limit

still learning what it means to "engage the public" while cre-

their art to what has already been done or leave unchallenged

ating meaningful visual sites or significant c o m m u n i t y dia-

the narrow parameters of a commissioning agency.

logues amid changing urban systems and local groups.

juries,

projects,

and

finances."

Similarly wary is M a r y Beebe, director

Potentially,

of the

Stuart

Sometimes overwhelmed by the bureaucratic process are the

Collection of Public Art at the University of California, San

artists. Most are the products of traditional art educations that

Diego, w h o recently bemoaned the extent of "mediocre, for-

prepare them for the studio, the gallery, and the museum. It's a

gettable" public art and indicated that "artists w h o have grown

background aimed at developing a strong aesthetic and solid

up schooled in this kind of public art" k n o w m o r e a b o u t

individual vision. But few graduates are prepared to question

" h o w to handle the bureaucracy [and] apply for grants" than

the relation of art to urban life and civic space or to negotiate

they do about producing quality work. She says, "Artists need

the gauntlet of the public art process with its ever lengthening

to learn to be artists first. T h e y need to mature, to find their

demands for paperwork, committee review, compromise or

voice and have ideas, before they learn the h o w - t o of the

collaboration, and the effect those things can have on the final

process. That comes later. Otherwise you get bureaucratic art

piece. As artist and a former public arts commissioner Amalia

that conforms. Art is supposed to have an edge. Art should

Mesa-Bains puts it, " T h e way public art is constructed it either

come first and public art second."

engages or excludes people. I can't deliver what I want negotiating with people w h o are mostly concerned with risk m a n agement, money, or ways to button up the homeless."

Will formal education in public art mean a loss of fresh thinking in the public arena? O r will it stimulate new ideas, deeper social connections to culture, and greater artistic invention?

Frustration over public art's preoccupation with process and

Clearly the intent is the latter. As D e b o r a h Karasov of the

policy often leads to artist burnout. But for Mesa-Bains and

Minneapolis College of Art and Design's Institute for Public

other public artists w h o teach, it has led to conceiving of e d u -

Art and Design (IPAD) puts it, " O n e of our goals for starting

cation as a way to better prepare artists to deal with the prag-

the institute was to raise the quality of work in o u r o w n

matic "real world" their art will engage, as well as a tool to

region." Every campus, it seems, gives this goal a slightly dif-

refocus public art itself on the " p u b l i c " for w h o m it is

ferent spin.

intended.The result is an assortment of new college public art programs all over the country. From intensive two- and sixweek summer courses to undergraduate degrees, public art is being offered as a unique new genre of art-making. 1

"We need to examine different models for h o w art creates an energetic public life," says Mesa-Bains, w h o s e Institute for Visual and Public Art at California State University-Monterey Bay

(VPA-CSUMB)

promotes art as "cultural citizenship" by

But education's embrace of public art may also be making an

getting artists to work with local community organizations. A

institutionalized profession out of a historically marginalized

recent portable mural program exploring DNA damage due to

art territory, and that has some people worried. Some critics,

pesticide spraying in surrounding strawberry fields earned the

like Los Angeles cultural affairs arts administrator Mark

thanks of local businesses and labor organizers even as it upset

Johnstone, ask, " W h y would anyone try to teach public art? Specialization is a disservice to the arts." He feels that translating the rambling public art process into a tidy curriculum may lead to "formulaic solutions" or "more bad art." Already, cities are filling with art projects so similar they fit into predictable categories that artist Joyce Kozloff calls "the kudzu effect." [See PAR # 1 5 , p. 40.] T h e w o r r y is that the educational process may exacerbate this problem, furthering the proliferation of a canon of "weedy" public art endlessly adapted by program graduates.

EDUCATION

Mel Alexenberg and Miriam Benjamin, Art Thrones,

NWSA,

Miami, Fla. Photo courtesy NWSA

arts program puts it, "These programs are a kick in the pants. Students get introduced to a process that literally changes the world: makes it more interesting visually, more 'ours,' or more memorable. They are exposed to ideas of democracy in the selection of art and see themselves as shapers of the world, culture, and community instead of as superstars." That enthusiasm and faith in the social good of public art is often reflected in the programs' literature.

VPA-CSUMB

"making art [as] a significant social act," and

NWSA

touts

looks for

ways that art "can facilitate building community and positive change." Literature for the Minneapolis

[PAD'S

six-week pro-

gram speaks glowingly of public artists "bringing about urban change and offering hope for the future." Obviously these politicians and the Western Growers organization. "We need

programs are not designed to attract students w h o want a tra-

to talk about making large-scale public art from a compas-

ditional studio career aimed at a rarified art market but rather

sionate place," she says, and expect artists to "create a more

hope to target individuals looking for art to be "public" in

h u m a n e life relevant to their time."

much broader terms.

Seeing site-specific art as a means for "aesthetically and c o n -

They attract students like Jeremiah Day, whose art was already

ceptually enriching the shared environment," the N e w World

moving away from gallery-based work. H e saw c s u ' s t w o -

School of Arts (NWSA) at the University of Florida in Miami

week summer program as an opportunity to explore the dif-

looks to create artists w h o can " b e c o m e a vital force in shap-

ference between the autonomy of the studio and public art's

ing our multicultural communities and improving our quality

collaborative process. "I didn't realize it was such a separate

of life." Students involved in the towering Art Thrones project,

w o r l d . . . . O n c e you let go of the studio, what art means

a collaboration with local elders from various ethnic c o m m u -

becomes incredibly destabilized. T h a t interests me." For

nities, not only placed monuments of m e m o r y and culture on

Miami's M o n i c a Eichmann, the

Miami's River Walk but also joined a local university's nursing

because she "wanted an opportunity to apply art in a useful

school to evaluate the effects that the active collaboration had

way versus having it locked away in someone's private home.

on the elders. Such interconnection between communities,

That's the history of art: being in the streets."

NWSA'S

classes appealed

health networks, and art is rare in public art and is the kind of connective thinking that the

NWSA

pointedly hopes to model

as a possibility for both young artists and other art programs. Indeed it is the kind of thinking art departments across the country are increasingly being asked to develop.

For all their engagement with issues in the public sphere and their emphasis on collaboration, community, and pragmatic experience, none of these programs puts public art before the artist's own development. O n every campus, in fact, the two are intimately tied. "We believe that one cannot simply go

Colleges offering public art courses are at the forefront of rad-

into a public realm unless the student also understands his or

ical change in studio education. A recent issue of the College

her own

identity in that public realm," says Karasov.

Art Association's Art Journal focused on " R e t h i n k i n g Studio

Ultimately it is the development of mature artists aware of the

Education" and noted that, "As educators, we need to empha-

relationship between institutionalized culture and participa-

size content related to our students' lives and the life of the

tory democracy that will determine whether the fears about

culture." Education, like contemporary art, is reinventing itself

education calcifying public art are groundless. Because despite

to remain relevant in the twenty-first century. Respected the-

the control exerted by administrators and others w h o outline

orists, like H e n r y A. Giroux, are arguing for the practice of

and direct the creation of public art, it is still the individual

"radical education" designed to question received assumptions

artist's creative and expansive thinking that sparks this process

and institutions and work interdisciplinarily in order to make

and ignites the public space.

society more democratic. Public art, particularly what critic Arlene Raven terms "art in the public interest" that takes on

Suvan G e e r is an artist and art writer based in the Los Angeles area.

social problems and cultural biases, offers a good opportunity for colleges to reconceptualize art education as a social-based pedagogy of critical theory. Or, as artist and educator Craig Cree Stone of California State University's (csu's) summer P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING. SLIMMER.00

Note: l . T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f S o u t h e r n C a l i f o r n i a has t w o a d v a n c e d g r a d u a t e d e g r e e p r o g r a m s in public art; h o w e v e r , t h e y are m a i n l y a i m e d at a d m i n i s t r a t o r s a n d urban planners.

REVI

BETWEEN DOG & WOLF ESSAYS ON ART AND POLITICS IN THE TWILIGHT OF THE MILLENNIUM R e v i e w e d by Andrea Weiss • • •

David Levi Strauss Brooklyn, NY: Autonomedia, 1999 144 pages, $8.00

images" in therapeutic institutions today, and recalls the o r i gins of Griinewald's s i x t e e n t h - c e n t u r y I s e n h e i m Altarpiece, created for the " t h e r a p e u t i c c e n t e r o f t h e h o s p i t a l " in an A n t o n i t e m o n a s t e r y . By d e m o n s t r a t i n g h o w that

In 1993, after m a n y u n p a i d internships, I secured a j o b at Minneapolis's Walker Art Center. 1 had been w o r k i n g in a gift shop, and in h o n o r of this foray i n t o the art w o r l d , m y c o w o r k e r s gave m e a g o i n g - a w a y present: a c o f f e e m u g depicting a man with a triangular head and misplaced cubistinspired features. E m b l a z o n e d across his f o r e h e a d were the

work's

grotesque imagery, inspired by the diseased bodies Griinewald w i t n e s s e d there, was "a h o m e o p a t h i c r e v e l a t i o n " t o

the

monastery's patients, he underscores the error in believing sick people can only tolerate static, agreeable images. T r u e healing entails t r a n s f o r m a t i o n , and " p e o p l e engaged in this process n e e d images that are charged w i t h meaning."

words, " A R T official." H e pointed off to his right, and a word balloon issuing f r o m his m o u t h proclaimed, " O o o o , I like it."

N o t surprisingly, Levi Strauss is an admirer of Joseph Beuys,

R o t a t i n g the m u g in the d i r e c t i o n of this gesture, t h e r e

w h o "recognized the w h o l e Social B o d y as a w o u n d e d body, a

appeared a four-panel painting, each depicting the profile of a

traumatized b o d y requiring treatment." Perhaps my favorite

g r e e n - e y e d w h i t e m a n . C o m i n g f r o m the m o u t h s of each

essay in the c o l l e c t i o n , " A m e r i c a n B e u y s " examines the signif-

man, respectively, were the word balloons "ART," " C A N ' T , "

icance of Beuys's only art action in America, I Like America and

"HURT," "YOU."

America

Likes Me, also k n o w n as t h e C o y o t e a c t i o n . Levi

Strauss shows h o w Beuys's inability to verbally get his ideas I always felt ambivalent about this mug. O n o n e h a n d it was a statement being m a d e then. "Be o p e n - m i n d e d , " it suggested. " G i v e all this art stuff a try." For the " a r t officials" I n o w m o v e d amongst it was a way of e n g a g i n g the public, a PR necessity in an era of NEA bashing and r i g h t - w i n g hysteria over what artists were doing and art museums sanctioning. O n the other hand, I k n e w it was way too pat. G o o d art can hurt. It pokes at our perceptions, jabs our expectations. It stretches us, and, psychologically, that sometimes hurts. T h e ten essays in David Levi Strauss's first collection, Between Dog & Wolf, were mostly w r i t t e n in this era in w h i c h I selfconsciously sipped coffee f r o m the "art official" m u g b e h i n d my m u s e u m desk. I wish I had read t h e m then, for I w o u l d have better understood my ambivalence.

across to an A m e r i c a n public led h i m to physically c o n f r o n t a coyote, w h o s e reputation as " t r a n s f o r m e r " in Native A m e r i c a n m y t h o l o g y and biological survivor (despite large-scale, gove r n m e n t - s a n c t i o n e d efforts to eradicate coyotes since 1914, they c o n t i n u e to thrive all over the U.S.) m a d e h i m an ideal visual s y m b o l . " U s i n g shamanic techniques...[Beuys] engaged the coyote in a dialogue to get t o . . .the schism b e t w e e n native intelligence and E u r o p e a n mechanistic, materialistic, and positivistic values." In the final essay, " C o m i n g to the Point at T h r e e Rivers," Levi Strauss takes u p Beuys again, likening his ambitions to those of c o n t e m p o r a r y public artists. Beuys's '"Social Sculpture' tried to b r i n g the experience of artists into contact w i t h n o n - a r t situations, a p p l y i n g sculptural p r i n c i p l e s to social i n t e r a c -

For Levi Strauss, the recent U.S. cultural and political climate

tions." In 1996 Levi Strauss was impressed by conversations he

has been d o m i n a t e d by a mindset inherited f r o m the medical

w i t n e s s e d a m o n g s t p u b l i c artists d u r i n g M a r y J a n e Jacob's

community, that of allopathy. Allopathy is " t h e type of m e d i -

Points of Entry and Conversations

cine currently practiced in most hospitals and by most doctors

Beuys, he notes, public artists struggle for " t h e f r e e d o m to act

in the U.S. It's basic m e t h o d is to treat symptoms, rather than

socially.... In c o n t e m p o r a r y c o m m u n i t y - b a s e d public art, the

causes by i n t r o d u c i n g s o m e t h i n g against...the s y m p t o m a t i c

particulars in the conflict b e t w e e n art and politics b e c o m e

effect." In art, Levi Strauss suggests, critics and adherents alike

visible, vocal, and insistent."

have also s u p p o r t e d allopathic positions. To conservatives, "culture is something fixed, a n d . . . i t must be defended f r o m c h a n g e . . . the proper role of art is to act as social lubricant and analgesic." Conversely, some liberals "seem to believe that the only proper role of art is to convey political messages or to treat social ills directly and unequivocally." In o t h e r words, very few manage to look at the w h o l e picture.

at the Castle projects. Like

In this collection, o n e has the sense of Levi Strauss's t h o u g h t s evolving t h r o u g h time and topic. T h e essays are n o t ordered chronologically, but rather according to a flow of themes that feels right. Ideas t o u c h e d lightly in o n e essay may be m a g n i fied in the next. In his acknowledgments, he notes that "every essay is an attempt, a weighing out of words," and this description is apt. W h e t h e r c o n t e m p l a t i n g art history's rejection of

T h e misguidedness of allopathy is central to m a n y of Levi

Carolee Schneeman's b o d y art, Daniel Martinez's polemical

Strauss's essays. T h e art he admires, i n d e e d the m i n d s e t h e

public art projects, Columbus's u n c o m f o r t a b l e legacy, or the

wishes us to move toward, is holistic. In "Take As N e e d e d , " he

A m e r i c a n public's complicity in the G u l f War, Levi Strauss

questions the tendency to place " m e d i o c r e art and sentimental

zeros in on an idea, an obsession, a theory, dissecting its hold P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING.SUMMER.00

REVIEW

over h i m and setting it aside, finally, to r e t u r n to, perhaps,

In various essays, Eleanor H i g h t and Philip U r s p r u n g track

a n o t h e r time. H e quotes freely and often f r o m a w i d e range of

h o w film captures the essence of m o n u m e n t s . D e a n M a c -

sources, w h i c h gives his w o r k the feel of an open dialogue,

Cannell, E. Perry Winston, and Eric Sandweiss examine h o w

o n e that any reader wishing for fresh insight into the interplay

capital drives the organization of the American landscape as

of art and politics in forging our recent cultural mindset will

well as the construction, design, and decline of the c o n t e m p o -

learn f r o m .

rary city. Mitchell Schwarzer probes the h o r r o r of t h e

Andrea Weiss is assistant editor of Public Art

Holocaust through his analysis of a n u m b e r of m o n u m e n t s and

Review.

sites in Poland. Dell U p t o n explores the complications of c o m m e m o r a t i n g the civil rights movement. Kathleen James rediscovers m o d e r n i s m in Central Europe. And Kendra Taylor looks

INVENTING OUR HERITAGE

at h o w William Faulkner represents the w h o l e history of

DESIGN BOOK REVIEW

Mississippi architecture in his work.

R e v i e w e d by B i o d u n Iginla • • •

T h e entire issue presents animated discussions about historic preservation and m o n u m e n t s and compels a reconsideration of

San Francisco: California College of Arts and Crafts, Fall 1999; 510-551-9232, $9

problematic and controversial f o r m s of c o n t e m p o r a r y public

Since 1982, Design Book Review has functioned as a f o r u m for

key questions: W h o do design writers write their books for? Is

debates and discussions of recent scholarship in architecture,

public art for the educated f e w — o r for all people all the time?

urbanism, landscape, and design. W i t h the fall 1999 issue, its

Should sites and m o n u m e n t s as public art fit the space of their

n e w publishers have d e c i d e d to c o n t i n u e this tradition by

display—or should the space of display fit the art?

art. But most significantly, Design Book Review reopens several

expanding its inquiries into n e w developments in cyberspace,

Biodun Iginla is a freelance writer based in N e w York and Minneapolis. H e

visual cultures, ethnic and gender studies, cultural geography,

can be reached at biginla@yahoo.com.

and the relationships a m o n g various design arts. Design Book Review's

fall 1999 issue is the first p u b l i s h e d o u t of the

California College of Arts and Crafts San Francisco. Since

CCAC

(CCAC)

in Oakland and

focuses o n architecture, design, and

fine arts, the publishers see t h e college as an ideal site for launching the n e w shift of its investigations.

PUBLIC ART AFFAIRS 2000 C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s to recipents o f F O R E C A S T Public A r t works' annual grant program, Public Art Affairs. W i t h sup-

T h e t h e m e of this issue, "Inventing O u r Heritage," is organ-

p o r t f r o m the J e r o m e Foundation and the Science M u s e u m

ized a r o u n d the c o n s t r u c t i o n and i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of historic

of Minnesota, artists recently selected for f u n d i n g include:

m o n u m e n t s and explores h o w nations and groups use m o n u -

A n d r e w Sinning and Jason Brown

m e n t s to articulate historic events and cultural heritages. T h e

Vivienne M o r g a n

essays in the issue all suggest that the construction of a m o n u -

A r w e n Wilder and KristenVan L o o n

m e n t involves an act of i n t e r p r e t a t i o n — a n d indeed a m a n i p u -

Alison Heimstead

l a t i o n — o f historic events. For example, the selection of a few

Mark Safford

key images of a " h e r o i c " person to define a cultural or historic

Sue Kosmalski

m o m e n t necessarily suppresses or excludes o t h e r people and

Jose C u r b e l o and Creative Energy Murals

events, thereby closing off alternate interpretations of history.

Kevin J o h n s o n

Based o n essays that are all g r o u n d e d on reviews of a n u m b e r

Morgan Thorson

of b o o k s o n the topic of the design and architecture of land-

Shen Pei

scapes and m o n u m e n t s , " I n v e n t i n g O u r H e r i t a g e " poses a

Geri Connelly

Brent Baggett

n u m b e r of provocative questions about historic m o n u m e n t s

Sharol N a u

and heritage sites: H o w is a tradition constructed? H o w are

R o b e r t a B e n n e t t and Carol Ann Braddock

the m e a n i n g s of historic sites and m o n u m e n t s t r a n s f o r m e d over time? W h y is it significant for us to visit historic artifacts?

N o w available for sale is Volume III of Exploring the Public

W h a t are the gaps b e t w e e n authorial i n t e n t i o n and subse-

Realm, a video catalog of projects f u n d e d by the 1998 Public

q u e n t v i e w e r i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s ? Are s o m e events like

Art Affairs program. C o p i e s can be ordered for $10 each,

the

Holocaust t o o intense and complicated to be articulated by single pieces of art? P u b l i c A r t R e v i e w . SPRING.SUMMER.00

plus $4.00 for shipping, by contacting FOPJECAST.

MILLENNIUM

MARKING THE

A CELEBRATION OF A G I N G , a circular

P a m Golden's W I N G CHAIRS, sited

colored MILLENNIUM W I S H CHAIR,

installation of larger-than-life

a m o n g trees o n t h e B o s t o n

sporting fanciful arms, was large

h o l o g r a m s created by artist

C o m m o n , e n t i c e d passersby

Artist J o a n n e Arnold's brightly

MILLENNIUM

Zeren Earls

SURVEY

e n o u g h to a c c o m m o d a t e several

H a r r i e t Casdin-Silver, h o n o r e d

w i t h wings m a d e from e p o x i e d

T h e n e w m i l l e n n i u m inspired

people at o n e time, providing

senior citizens f r o m t h e city's

p i a n o h a m m e r "feathers." O n c e

m u c h reflection and celebra-

couples, families, and friends

culturally diverse n e i g h b o r -

seated, participants pulled a

t i o n â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a n d increased civic partic-

with a vehicle for transporting

h o o d s . V i e w e d from w i t h i n a

k n o b , activating t h e wings to

ipation. Especially notable was

j o i n t wishes for the n e w millen-

f i f t y - f o o t circle, the h o l o g r a p h i c

wrap around them.This

t h e participation of citizen-artists

n i u m . As part of the magic of

portraits were a c c o m p a n i e d by

e m b r a c e was m e a n t to i m p a r t

creating c o m m u n i t y - b a s e d

N e w Year's Eve, p e o p l e respond

a u d i o m e m o r i e s activated by

transformative p o w e r s so that

projects in great n u m b e r s .

well to this kind of sculptural

standing u n d e r c o r r e s p o n d i n g

participants m i g h t fulfill their

Ignited by t h e timely t h e m e s

fantasy, w h i c h started at First

acoustic d o m e s . A collaboration

millennial dreams,

offered by t h e m i l l e n n i u m , public

N i g h t Boston s o m e years ago

b e t w e e n the artist and acoustic

[below r i g h t Photo courtesy the artist]

artists conceived and led projects

and was similarly represented

e n g i n e e r Kevin B r o w n , t h e

that h o n o r e d the past, celebrated

there this year by Pam Golden's

w o r k was exhibited at the

the present, gave voice to f u t u r e

Wing Chairs (see below).

Hynes Convention Center.

visions, and created legacies.

o u t of Clara W a i n w r i g h t ' s desire

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

M u c h of this public art m a n i fested itself at First N i g h t 2 0 0 0

THE M I L L E N N I U M QUILT PROJECT g r e w

MILLENNIUM'S B R I D G E , M u r r a y

THE BOOK OF LIGHT featured w r i t -

to d o s o m e t h i n g special to cele-

ten expressions from a variety of

brate t h e calendar change.

cultures from t h e previous m i l -

B e g i n n i n g in 1997, t h e artist

ture of steel and heavy Douglas

l e n n i u m o n the slabs

engaged four community groups

fir timbers, invited celebrants to

t h e entrance of the B o s t o n

a year to m a k e quilts that dealt

cross its elevated walkway and

P u b h c Library. T h r o u g h digitally

w i t h their ideals for t h e f u t u r e .

HOMAGE TO TWENTIETH-CENTURY

r i n g the bells that h u n g at the

altered, projected images, J o h n

A m o n g t h e g r o u p s she w o r k e d

ARTISTS, storefront installations by

center of its n i n e t e e n - f o o t - h i g h

Powell t r a n s f o r m e d these slabs

with were the Gloucester

local artists and students, paid

a r c h . W i t h e i g h t - f o o t - h i g h bell

into a t w e n t y - f o u r - p a g e b o o k .

Fishermen's wives, t h e B o s t o n

h o m a g e to thirteen giants of the

structures at each end, scrolling

H e also illuminated t h e library's

Tibetan community, South

past century: Alexander Calder,

p o e t r y o n LED panels, and c o n -

facade adjacent to the p r o j e c -

B o s t o n y o u t h c o p i n g w i t h sui-

E d w a r d H o p p e r , Paul Klee,

standy c h a n g i n g lights, t h e

tions, w h i c h m a d e the p r o j e c -

cide, and E n t r e Familia, a r e h a -

Gustav Klimt, R o y Lichtenstein,

b r i d g e m a r k e d a symbolic pas-

tions seem part of t h e b u i l d i n g s

bilitation p r o g r a m for Latinos.

R e n e Magritte, Piet M o n d r i a n ,

sage into the next m i l l e n n i u m .

architecture and n o t simply

T h e quilts, m a d e of brilliant

H e n r y M o o r e , Alice N e e l , Claes

O v e r three days o n t h e B o s t o n

applied surface decorations.

fabrics, depict t h e participants'

celebrations, as d e m o n s t r a t e d by t h e following sampling. B I N 6 H A M T 0 N , N E W YORK

Dewart's

forty-foot-long

struc-

flanking

O l d e n b u r g , Faith R i n g g o l d ,

C o m m o n , an endless stream of

Finally, c o m p l i m e n t a r y colored

hurts, hopes, a n d aspirations.

G e o r g e Segal, and A n d y Warhol.

people participated in the ritual

spotlights accentuated the

E x h i b i t e d at t h e B o s t o n

T h e installations featured the

crossing: s o m e m a d e wishes,

library's entrance, d r a w i n g a t t e n -

Architectural C e n t e r d u r i n g

First N i g h t 2000 t h e m e , Share

s o m e kissed, s o m e shouted, and

tion to the p e r f o r m a n c e p o e t r y

First N i g h t , t h e quilts have since

programs inside.

been returned to the c o m m u n i -

the Light, f r o m the artists'

s o m e raised u p their hands in

perspectives. Lit at night, this

t r i u m p h a n t gestures of entry,

"street gallery" remained o p e n

[below m i d d l e Photo courtesy

through January,

the artist]

[ b e l o w Joanne Arnold, Homage Magritte.

Photo by Art Kopp jr]

ties that created t h e m .

MILLENNIUM

BURLINGTON, VERMONT

MONTCLAIR, N E W J E R S E Y

SURVEY

T h r o u g h the efforts of

forty-two

ADNALOY, a t e m p o r a r y public

artists, ORBS AND BOXES trans-

T h o m a s Sayre's m o n u m e n t a l

Stix Wasserman was c o m m i s -

sculpture by Tony O r t i z , was

formed

sculpture, G Y R E , referring to a

sioned by C i t y Arts and First

unveiled at the o p e n i n g c e r e -

into a visually rich, yet c o n t e m -

circular m o v e m e n t or t u r n , a

N i g h t B u r l i n g t o n as a

m o n i e s of the First N i g h t m i l -

plative, e n v i r o n m e n t . Each artist

gyration, was cast in reinforced

c o m m e m o r a t i v e w o r k for

l e n n i u m celebration and

chose either an e i g h t e e n - i n c h

concrete in carved depressions

City Hall Park. T h e w i n n e r of

signaled the township's c o m m i t -

diameter o r b or a shadow b o x

in the earth outside the N o r t h

a j u r i e d selection, the sculpture

m e n t to creating a p e r m a n e n t

w i t h a glass front as a w o r k i n g

Carolina M u s e u m of Art. T h e

consists of four gray granite

sculpture garden in t h e redevel-

unit. T h e boxes represented t h e

first site-specific w o r k in the

posts s u p p o r t i n g a t w e n t y - s i x -

o p m e n t of C r a n e Park. Based 011

artists' renditions of time cap-

Museum's planned Art Park,

foot stainless-steel steeple that

t h e m y t h of a y o u n g w o m a n

sules, w h i l e the orbs reflected

the sculpture addresses t h e

contains a m o v i n g p e n d u l u m .

t r a n s f o r m e d into a tree and

m e m o r i e s and visions inspired

c o n c e p t of thresholds and signi-

D u r i n g the unveiling cere-

immortalized, A dnaloy represents

by the m i l l e n n i u m . B o t h Orbs

fies the artist's c o m m i t m e n t to

m o n i e s o n D e c e m b e r 31, a

purity, faith, and h o p e for t h e

and Boxes and

art as an essential ingredient of

t i m e capsule was b u r i e d b e n e a t h

n e w m i l l e n n i u m . In accordance

Installations were coordinated by

the c o m i n g century. Integral

t h e sculpture.

w i t h t h e township's require-

artists Pieter Favier, David

to the creation of t h e sculpture

ments, the t h i r t e e n - f o o t plaster

M c C a n n , and Wanda Sullivan,

was a residency at E n l o e H i g h

figure is biodegradable and will

[below right Photo courtesy First

School to introduce students

give way to p e r m a n e n t works as

Night MobileÂŠ 1999]

to public art.

C O L U M B I A , MISSOURI T h e R o m a n e s q u e MILLENNIUM ARCH, a public c o n s t r u c t i o n

f u n d s b e c o m e available.

project coordinated by D e n n i s M u r p h y , symbolizes the strength

M O B I L E , ALABAMA

a raw d o w n t o w n space

Millennium

P R O V I D E N C E , R H O D E ISLAND

T h r o u g h Earth Quilt, a six-week

M A Y B E . . . 1910, an interactive s o u n d

residency to c o m m e m o r a t e the

of that c o m m u n i t y w o r k i n g

MILLENNIUM INSTALLATIONS, t e m p o -

and v i d e o installation by Todd

m i l l e n n i u m , artist N o r m a

together. C o n s t r u c t e d of recy-

rary art e n v i r o n m e n t s created by

Winkler, highlighted R h o d e

Bradley and students at Ligon

cled cardboard f r o m p a c k i n g

six local artists to generate p u b -

Island life in the early part of the

M i d d l e S c h o o l created PATHWAYS,

boxes, t h e individual units of

lic interest in c o n t e m p o r a r y art,

c e n t u r y t h r o u g h the stories of

a large o u t d o o r garden based o n

t h e arch w e r e cut f r o m a t e m -

t r a n s f o r m e d deserted d o w n t o w n

the state's senior citizens. T h e

an original quilt pattern. Also

plate. Following a stencil, m e m -

spaces. U s i n g different media

resulting set resembled a b e d -

involving c o m m u n i t y elders

bers of t h e c o m m u n i t y d r e w

and m e t h o d s , the artists engaged

r o o m that viewers were allowed

f r o m adjacent n e i g h b o r h o o d s ,

t h e outstretched arms and

t h e public in topics such as

to explore by sitting o n the bed,

t h e project used earth as its f a b -

colored in the figures in their

t w e n t i e t h - c e n t u r y events and

p e e k i n g into dresser drawers,

ric, w i t h rocks, w o o d , and plants

o w n styles. Following First

personalities, leisure time, ritual

and e x a m i n i n g photographs. T h e

providing its color and textures.

N i g h t , the arch b r o k e d o w n to

and environmental concerns,

viewers' m o v e m e n t s and actions

Seasonal flowers, perennials, and

fifteen units to be reused by area

and multiculturalism.

triggered c o r r e s p o n d i n g audio

evergreens were used to s y m -

teachers for lessons in architec-

clips t h r o u g h pressure sensors

bolize b o t h the traditional

ture and multiculturalism.

e m b e d d e d in the floor and f u r -

African-American community

[below left Photo courtesy

niture. Senior citizens b e c a m e

s u r r o u n d i n g the school and t h e

the artist]

b o t h collaborators and critics in

transitory lives of t h e students.

the realization of this w o r k .

R A L E I G H , NORTH CAROLINA

M I L L E N N I U M SCULPTURE by Andrea

MILLENNIUM

P I T T S B U R G H , PENNSYLVANIA

A m e r i c a n flag. This particular

SURVEY

ST. P E T E R S B U R G , FLORIDA

T h e M u s e u m o f Fine Arts

D e c o r a t e d with festive banners,

d o o r featured smaller d o o r s

T h e artists' collective E x p e r -

hosted GATEWAY TO THE M I L L E N N I U M .

Jerome D'Angelo's sound

that o p e n e d to reveal events

imental Skeleton was c o m m i s -

an installation by T a m p a artist

sculpture, W A L L OF NOISE, invited

c o r r e s p o n d i n g to each decade

sioned to p r o d u c e a series of six

T h e o W u j c i k , w h i c h consisted

celebrants to r i n g in the n e w

of the 1900s. T h e doors were

sculptures that w o u l d float in t h e

of seven large paintings in t h e

m i l l e n n i u m by playing its pans,

exhibited o n t h e g r o u n d s of the

Vinoy Basin and c o u l d b e set o n

m u s e u m ' s M a c k e y Gallery all

r h y t h m sticks, bells, w o o d

Sturbridge I n f o r m a t i o n C e n t e r

fire as part of the c o u n t d o w n to

m a k i n g reference to late t w e n t i -

chimes, gongs, pipes, cymbals,

d u r i n g First N i g h t .

m i d n i g h t . Six eight-foot-tall

e t h - c e n t u r y acts of r a n d o m and

lotus sculptures were c o n s t r u c t e d

senseless violence.Visitors

and oil drums, [below left Photo by Mark

SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA

with steel armatures and waxed

e n t e r e d and exited t h e gallery

muslin skins. Each petal was

by passing t h r o u g h t w o symbolic

o u t d o o r p h o t o g r a p h i c mural

h i n g e d to t h e base of its flower,

gates m a d e of M y l a r curtains.

installation featured c u t o u t p h o -

allowing the budlike f o r m s to

T h e l o w e r p o r t i o n o f each of

b l o o m as the flames destroyed

these n i n e - f o o t - h i g h M y l a r

Schuster]

PUBLIC F I G U R E S , a t e m p o r a r y

J o a n n Kielar directed SHARE THE

tographs of six t e n - f o o t dancers

LIGHT LANTERNS, for w h i c h t h o u sands of children and adults

paintings was c u t i n t o t w o - i n c h -

in m o t i o n m o u n t e d o n w o o d e n

their c o n n e c t i o n s . Each

backings and attached to t h e

was designed to o p e n to a greater

w i d e strips that allowed for

brick wall overlooking a vacant

extent, resulting in t h e final b u d

easy passage a n d caused t h e

d o w n t o w n lot. T h e site was c h o -

b e c o m i n g a fully o p e n e d

paintings to b e f r a g m e n t e d each

sen because of the interesting

at m i d n i g h t . E x p e r i m e n t a l

t i m e a visitor m o v e d t h r o u g h

stagelike b a c k g r o u n d of the

Skeleton artists J a n i n e Awai,

t h e m . T h e first gate painting.

b r i c k wall and the n e e d to

D e v o n Brady, and J o e Griffith

No, depicted t h e single bust

enliven the lot, w h i c h is o n e of

p r o d u c e d and installed the sculp-

of a w o m a n screaming " t o p u t

t h e city's last r e m a i n i n g scars

tures w i t h assistance f r o m a

an e n d to t h e violence that

f r o m the 1989 earthquake.

m a r i n e e n g i n e e r and a p y r o t e c h -

s u r r o u n d s u s . " T h e second, best

D u r i n g the First N i g h t Santa

n i c i a n . T h e y chose t h e lotus

v i e w e d f r o m inside t h e gallery

C r u z celebration, p r o g r a m m e d

image in an effort to b r i d g e t h e

as an exit piece, was

Artists were called to o p e n

stage lights illuminated o n e

conceptual c o n c e r n s of public art

Eye of the Storm and served to

DOORS TO THE N E W M I L L E N N I U M . Six

d a n c i n g figure at a time in a

w i t h t h e desire for spectacle o n

usher viewers back to their

doors rescued f r o m t h e local

r a n d o m sequence,

N e w Year's Eve 2000.As a

o w n w o r l d w i t h a caution to be

landfill were delivered to partici-

[below m i d d l e Photo courtesy

Buddhist symbol w h o s e g r o w t h

aware. T h e direct c o n t a c t w i t h

pants. O n e artist painted his

First Night Santa Cruz]

is c o m p a r e d to the evolution of a

the works o f art that t h e installa-

m i n d toward e n l i g h t e n m e n t , the

tion required c o n t r i b u t e d to its

tern and used CD-ROMs for the

lotus is an optimistic image

i m p a c t and intent.

circles. Students in the sculpture

e n f o r c i n g t h e idea that t i m e itself

class at Tantasqua R e g i o n a l H i g h

produces a wiser, gentler evolu-

School w o r k e d in small groups

tion of h u m a n k i n d ,

dent of First Night International

to transform their doors, i n c l u d -

[below r i g h t Photo courtesy First

and the former director of First

ing o n e painted to resemble t h e

Night St. Petersburg]

Night Boston.

crafted lanterns and helped install t h e m at M e l l o n Square Park. T h e lanterns, large and small, m a d e of paper and plastic, f o r m e d thirty canopies and t w o gateways.The visual spectacle of this large public art installation was e n h a n c e d by twenty-five six-foot-tall figures that held lanterns and by shadow plays. S T U R B R I D G E , MASSACHUSETTS

d o o r w i t h a traditional quilt pat-

flower

tided

Zeren Earls is the founding presi-

RECENT

N o r i e Sato recently c o m p l e t e d

sioned by B r o w a r d C o u n t y ' s

R e c e n t projects c o m m i s s i o n e d

Artist Tony Matelli exhibited a

I N F L U E N C E OF INFLUENTS: RAIN DRAIN.

C u l t u r a l Affairs Public Art and

by Denver's Public Art

s o u n d installation, DISTANT PARTY,

a commission ofWashington's

Design P r o g r a m and dedicated

P r o g r a m i n c l u d e the following:

o n the street at 10th Avenue and

K i n g C o u n t y Public Art

in May 1999.

Artist M i c h a e l C l a p p e r c o m -

15th Street in N e w York C i t y in

pleted his first public a r t w o r k ,

S e p t e m b e r . E m a n a t i n g f r o m an

Driscoll recently c o m p l e t e d a

a stone sculpture titled EMPATHY,

i n d e t e r m i n a t e i n d o o r space high

m o n u m e n t a l series of t w e n t y

in c o n n e c t i o n w i t h t h e

a b o v e g r o u n d , party sounds such

mosaic, b r o n z e , and glass reliefs

renovation of t h e C o r o n e r ' s

as muffled music, c h a t t e r i n g

in N e w York's G r a n d C e n t r a l

O f f i c e Building. N e w O r l e a n s

Terminal N o r t h . AS ABOVE, SO

artist Marcus Akinlana c o m -

P r o g r a m . D e s i g n e d for t h e n e w N o r t h C r e e k P u m p Station, a c o p p e r - t r i m m e d b r i c k structure that houses e q u i p m e n t to p u m p thirty-six million gallons of wastewater a day, Sato's c o p p e r sculpture uses actual rainwater flows to illustrate t h e c o n n e c -

Seven years in t h e making, Ellen

B E L O W pays h o m a g e to t h e

pleted a CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES

voices, and clinking glasses were m e a n t to leave t h e passing p u b lic w o n d e r i n g , " W h e r e ' s the party?". W i t h this project, a

f a m o u s night-sky ceiling in

MURAL at the D e n v e r I n t e r n a -

G r a n d Central's M a i n T e r m i n a l

tional A i r p o r t . Administered

by r e c o u n t i n g myths a b o u t

by t h e Ulozi Art C e n t e r in

t i m e and t h e heavens f r o m five

Denver's Five Points

continents. T h e images span

N e i g h b o r h o o d , the mural cele-

Florida sculptor and b o o k artist,

cultures and historical epochs

brates t h e c o n t r i b u t i o n s of and

Claire J e a n i n e S m i t h created a

f r o m the ancient G r e e k myths

struggles e n c o u n t e r e d by

large public a r t w o r k for a n e w

of Sisyphus and P e r s e p h o n e to

A f r i c a n - A m e r i c a n settlers in t h e

b r a n c h library in P e m b r o k e

t h e K o n g o s u n s y m b o l that

Pines, Fla. ALPHASTORY is a series of

region. A LIGHTING INSTALLATION

represents t h e soul's progress

along the e x t e r i o r of t h e sev-

f r o m b i r t h to rebirth after

c o m m u n i t y in m o t i o n . " T h e

artworks that begins w i t h tile

e n t h level of t h e D e n v e r

w o r k was part of N e w York's

P e r f o r m i n g Arts C o m p l e x

D o w n t o w n Arts Festival.

tion b e t w e e n t h e m a n - m a d e and t h e natural e n v i r o n m e n t s , [below left Photo courtesy King County Public Art Program]

designs in the walkways f r o m

death to a b o y h o o d portrait of

t h e p a r k i n g lot and t h e adjacent

Albert Einstein situated in a

commission of the Public Art Fund's In the Public Realm p r o gram, Matelli wished to explore the societal n e e d for c o m m u nity. " A distant party offers the possibility to b e c o m e part of that group," he e x p l a i n s . " F o r a m o m e n t to j o i n in t h e hope, enthusiasm, and p o w e r of a

p a r k i n g garage was created by

m i d d l e school, leads i n t o t h e

compass. Driscoll p h o t o g r a p h e d

library w i t h a 1 2 5 - s q u a r e - f o o t ,

c o n t e m p o r a r y m o d e l s to illus-

h a n d - p a i n t e d ceramic tile wall

trate t h e mythical deities and

design, and culminates in a large

figures. T h e w o r k was c o m m i s -

metal sculpture suspended above

sioned by t h e M e t r o p o l i t a n

t h e i n f o r m a t i o n desk w i t h a

T r a n s p o r t a t i o n A u t h o r i t y Arts

q u o t e f r o m William Blake. Each

for Transit p r o g r a m and t h e

e l e m e n t of the w o r k i n c o r p o -

M e t r o - N o r t h Railroad,

rates w r i t t e n symbols, f r o m

[below m i d d l e Photo courtesy

Kaslow installed FAMILY PILLAR

R o m a n alphabets and Egyptian

the artist]

at t h e n e w D e n v e r H u m a n

hieroglyphics to q u o t e s such as

PROJECTS

J o h n Powell of Light T i m e in Space, Allston, Mass. T h e filtered light source produces scalloped b e a m s of blues and pinks that cascade d o w n t h e facade and t r a n s f o r m it. A n d Baltimore artist Lisa

Services A u t h o r i t y Building,

Lewis Carroll's " W h a t is the use

[below r i g h t Michael Clapper,

o f a b o o k . . . w i t h o u t pictures or

Empathy. Photo courtesy Mayor's

conversation?", w h i c h is also

Office of Art, Culture, and Film]

Carolyn Braaksma and Brad Kaspari c o m p l e t e d THE GREAT RIVER, a stone and terrazzo floor for t h e W i n o n a State University Library in W i n o n a , M i n n . , in 1 9 9 9 . T h e w o r k was c o m m i s sioned by the M i n n e s o t a Percent for Art in Public Places p r o g r a m . Braaksma also c o m pleted t h e first phase of a m a j o r infrastructure project in Scottsdale,Ariz. THE PATH MOST TRAVELED features eight miles of c o n c r e t e s o u n d a b a t e m e n t walls,

duplicated in braille at chest

ramps, and b r i d g e piers, w i t h

level. T h e w o r k was c o m m i s -

surface t r e a t m e n t specific to

RECENT

PROJECTS

Arizona, including lizards, cactus

T h e final f o u r stops in Points of

Station. Maria Elena Gonzalez's

In D e c e m b e r , t h e O h i o

and agape plants, and t o p o -

Departure:Art

W A T E R I N G HOLE(S) consists of f o u r

C h a m b e r unveiled a public

graphical references,

Line Art Center's site-specific

w h i t e tile u r n s o n iron legs

sculpture o n t h e b r i c k plaza

[below left Carolyn Braaksma, The

project that has b r o u g h t public

installed in separate areas of the

outside its C o l u m b u s h e a d q u a r -

Path Most Traveled. Photo courtesy

artworks to train stations o n

O v e r b r o o k Train Station to c r e -

ters by C o l u m b u s artist S t e p h e n

the artist ÂŠ 1997]

t h e R 5 R e g i o n a l Rail Line

ate a spiritual presence in an

W I T N E S S : PERSPECTIVES ON POLICE

b e t w e e n 30th Street in

environment not normally

Philadelphia and B r y n M a w r ,

associated w i t h spirituality o r

will be installed in April and

contemplation,

May. Virgil Marti is using t h e

[below m i d d l e Virgil Marti,

structed of materials processed

decorative m o t i f of the a n t i q u e

rendering of Couch. Photo courtesy

by O h i o m a n u f a c t u r e r s and is

iron f e n c e that r u n s along t h e

the artist]

i n t e n d e d to symbolize t h e roles

VIOLENCE, the first collaborative project by artists Bradley M c C a l l u m and Jacqueline Tarry, exhibited N o v e m b e r 4â&#x20AC;&#x201D; D e c e m b e r 20, 1999 at the Cathedral C h u r c h of St. J o h n the D i v i n e in N e w York City. M c C a l l u m and Tarry are the f o u n d e r s of C o n j u n c t i o n A r t s , Inc., a n o n p r o f i t organization that fosters "partnerships b e t w e e n artists and social service organizations to advocate for progressive social change." Witness, presented in association w i t h n u m e r o u s organizations and individuals, including the R e v e r e n d A1 S h a r p t o n , D a n C a m e r o n , t h e C e n t e r for C o n s t i t u t i o n a l Rights, the N a t i o n a l Action N e t w o r k , Parents Against Police Brutality, and 100 Blacks in Law E n f o r c e m e n t W h o Care, focused o n individual testim o n i e s of police violence in a m u l t i m e d i a installation that i n c l u d e d s o u n d recordings, p h o tographs, v i d e o projections, and artifacts. T h r e e additional public artworks by M c C a l l u m addressing public violence and its afterm a t h were s h o w n concurrently.

on the Line, M a i n

p l a t f o r m at ARDMORE STATION to t r a n s f o r m its waiting r o o m with an o r n a m e n t a l ceiling, coverings for the

fluorescent

light fixtures and ticket m a c h i n e , curtains for the w i n dows, and upholstered cushions for the benches. Marti uses dated conventions to explore t h e relationship b e t w e e n art and i n t e r i o r design and " g o o d " and " b a d " taste. For R i c h a r d Torchia's VANISHING RAILS, a f r e e standing v i e w i n g cabinet installed o n each of t h e eight station platforms will enclose a pair of inverted camera obscura projections of train tracks r e c e d ing i n t o t h e distance or disapp e a r i n g a r o u n d a b e n d . Each pair allows viewers to see in opposite directions s i m u l t a n e ously. D o n C a m p is using excerpts f r o m local high school s t u d e n t j o u r n a l s e x p l o r i n g issues of g e n d e r and c o m m u n i c a t i o n to create COMPUTERIZED GRAPHIC IMAGES in the Haverford Train

MATRIX, a light installation by Sally Weber, was instilled w i t h i n glass panels in t h e e n t r a n c e of t h e E. P. Foster Library in Ventura, Calif. Brightly colored

C a n n e t o . A gift f r o m A m e r i c a n Electric Power, t h e s i x t e e n - f o o t CROSSROADS OF COMMERCE is c o n -

that c o m m e r c e a n d t h e O h i o C h a m b e r have played in t h e lives of t h e state's citizens. T h e work's triangular C o l u m b u s l i m e s t o n e bases, w h i c h f o r m a

digital images e v o k i n g t h e

solid, well-laid f o u n d a t i o n , r e p -

design of c o m p u t e r chips are

resent t h e past. A b r o n z e sail-

laminated o n t o t h e glass. Lines

like f o r m rises u p as if full o f

of p o e t r y and q u o t a t i o n s s u b -

w i n d a n d suggests m o v e m e n t

m i t t e d by t h e public are e m b e d -

t h r o u g h time. A n a l u m i n u m

d e d w i t h i n t h e w o r k along w i t h

f r a m e represents t h e rise o f

intricate visual patterns reflect-

m o d e r n technology. Poised at

i n g t h e evolution of w r i t t e n

t h e t o p of t h e w o r k b e t w e e n

language f r o m abstract patterns and symbols t o visual code. Matrix, a c o m m i s s i o n of t h e C i t y of San B u e n a v e n t u r a Public Art P r o g r a m , can be v i e w e d o n t h e W e b site:

the b r o n z e and a l u m i n u m f o r m s , a sphere o f steel a n d glass is split o p e n like a seed to "reveal t h e e n e r g y o f light a n d t h e promise of t h e future."

www.vencolibrary.org/weber/

[below r i g h t Photo courtesy

facade.htm.

the artist]

RECENT

PROJECTS

HEAR US by Sheila Levrant de

In O c t o b e r t h e K i n g C o u n t y

In spring 1999, N e w York artist

O n April 24, 1999, artists Mags

Bretteville a n d Susan Sellers was

Public Art P r o g r a m helped

W o p o H o l u p installed N E W

H a r r i e s and Lajos H e d e r p u t o n

p e r m a n e n t l y installed in t h e

dedicate a r t w o r k by Jack

G R O W T H FOREST at the Philadelphia

the first of w h a t they i n t e n d to

Massachusetts State H o u s e o n

M a c k i e . J e a n Whitesavage, N i c k

Z o o ' s n e w PECO P r i m a t e

be an annual c o m m u n i t y art

O c t o b e r 19, 1 9 9 9 . T h e " c e n t e r -

Lyle, and Maya R a d o c z y that is

Reserve. T h e p r i m a t e building

e v e n t . T h e y initiated THE BRONX

p i e c e " of t h e State House

part of the n e w K i n g Street

was created f r o m an a b a n d o n e d

RIVER G O L D E N BALL to tie t o g e t h e r

Women's Leadership Project initi-

C e n t e r in d o w n t o w n Seattle's

structure that was o n c e part of a

the fractured e x p e r i e n c e of the

ated by t h e State Senate in

P i o n e e r Square historic district.

l u m b e r camp. H o l u p was i n t e r -

B r o n x R i v e r and b r i n g t o g e t h e r

1995, t h e w o r k h o n o r s t h e c o n -

M a c k i e designed t h e building's

ested in t h e idea o f " a n a b a n -

t h e layers of people, sights, and artifacts that exist alongside it.

t r i b u t i o n s of w o m e n to public

PLAZA as an u r b a n site sculpture

d o n e d l u m b e r c a m p taken over

life in Massachusetts w h i l e

responsive to b o t h its g e o -

by t h e animals after t h e forest

Integral to the event is the

f o c u s i n g o n six individuals:

graphic location and daily use.

had b e e n destroyed." She

t h i r t y - t w o - i n c h gold leaf and

D o r o t h e a D i x , Lucy Stone,

H e used architectural detailing

d e c i d e d to " [ c o n t i n u e ] the

fiberglass G o l d e n Ball that

Sarah Parker R e d m o n d ,

and b e a c h and bluff plantings to

s t o r y . . . w i t h images of a clear

serves as a symbol for t h e sun,

J o s e p h i n e St. P i e r r e R u f f i n ,

simulate t h e fact that t h e site is

cut forest and its r e n e w a f ' T h e

the world, energy, and life.

M a r y K e n n e y O'Sullivan, and

located w i t h i n an u r b a n grid, a

w o r k consists of approximately

H a r r i e s and H e d e r , in a c a n o e

Florence L u s c o m b . D e s c r i b e d as

seismically active area, and w h a t

320 cast b r o n z e elements

and yielding a giant G o l d e n Ball

a " m i x e d - m e d i a portrait

was o n c e an early shoreline.

e m b e d d e d in the paving at t h e

net, led t h e sculpture d o w n the

gallery," t h e w o r k consists of six

Whitesavage and Lyle designed

e x t e r i o r of t h e animal v i e w i n g

river o n a t e n - m i l e j o u r n e y

large marble panels m o u n t e d o n

and fabricated art e l e m e n t s for

area. T h e cast b r o n z e elements

f r o m suburban Bronxville to

a wall. Inset i n t o t h e panels is a

the n o r t h w e s t c o r n e r of t h e

are representations of tree

inner-city South Bronx.

b r o n z e bust of each w o m a n cast

building. T h e i r f o r g e d steel

stumps, ordinary plants, rare

Spectators m a k i n g the same

f r o m p e r i o d p h o t o g r a p h s . Two

RAIN FOREST GATES weave t o g e t h e r

and e n d a n g e r e d plants, a snake,

trek o n t h e shore alongside

q u o t a t i o n s f r o m each w o m a n ' s

plants and animals f o u n d in the

a r o w of insects, a n d a puddle.

t h e m were able to c o n t e m p l a t e

published writings o r speeches

Pacific N o r t h w e s t rain forests.

T h e p l a c e m e n t of each e l e m e n t

h o w central a part t h e river

are e t c h e d o n the marble. T h e

T h e s e gates are flanked by side

seems r a n d o m . H o l u p s w o r k

plays in their lives.Thirty c o m -

wall b e h i n d t h e panels is c o v -

gates w i t h steel sculptural

was c o m m i s s i o n e d t h r o u g h

m u n i t y groups along the river

ered w i t h wallpaper created o u t

b u i l d i n g parts. In t h e b u i l d i n g s

Philadelphia's Percent for

participated with their o w n

of a repeating p a t t e r n of legisla-

lobby, R a d o c z y r e n d e r e d basic,

Art P r o g r a m .

celebratory events, w h i c h t h e

tive d o c u m e n t s related to t h e

natural elements in l u m i n o u s

G o l d e n Ball visited along its

causes associated w i t h t h e h o n -

cast glass for EARTH, W I N D , AND

j o u r n e y . As well as revealing

orees: w o m e n ' s suffrage, antislav-

W A T E R . A lighted chandelier in

p r i m e sites available for social

ery, t h e p r o t e c t i o n of w o m e n

t h e e n t r y vestibule of twisted,

gathering, the voyage revealed

and children in t h e workplace,

b o w e d , and blown shapes repre-

access problems and obstacles

m e n t a l illness, and civil rights,

sents t h e w i n d , and backlit

that the c o m m u n i t i e s had never

[below left Photo courtesy

panels depict b o t h abstractions

b e f o r e considered seriously. For

Kortenhaus Communications]

of r u s h i n g w a t e r and crystalline

m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n o n this and

earth f o r m a t i o n s ,

o t h e r H a r r i e s and H e d e r p r o j -

[below m i d d l e Jack Mackie, Plaza.

ects, visit their n e w W e b site:

Photo courtesy King County Public

www.Harries/Heder.com.

Art Program]

[below r i g h t Photo courtesy the artists]

RECENT

FLYING FLOORS FOR THE MAIN TICKET-

Also at t h e Philadelphia

PROJECTS

H e c h t , Leela R a m o t a r , G e o r g e

t w o - f o o t - b y - s i x - i n c h squared

ING PAVILION by Acconci S t u d i o of

International A i r p o r t , t h e

Spencer, T r e b o r Scholz, and

p o i n t , a n d "is m e a n t , " a c c o r d i n g

N e w York was dedicated in fall

artist team Gloria Kosco and

Carola B u r r o u g h s .

to Ferrara, " t o b e a b e a c o n to

1999 at t h e Philadelphia

M i m i Strang f r o m D e c o r a t t a

SEAT W A L L AND HALF MOON TERRACE

by t h e University's Public A r t

International A i r p o r t , B / C

T i l e w o r k s of Silverdale, Pa.,

Terminal. W i n n e r of the 1998

c o m p l e t e d and installed A SHIFT

Design Distinction Award f r o m

OF FACTS: FROM THE K N O W N TO THE

I.D. Magazine for this w o r k ,

INFINITE at the Satellite T h e r m a l

A c c o n c i Studio describes it

P l a n t , T e r m i n a l E. A p p r o x i -

thus: " A t the e n d of t h e ticket-

mately f o r t y - t w o feet l o n g and

ing pavilion the floors c o m e

n i n e feet high at t h e highest

loose. It's as if, n o w that there's

p o i n t , the architectural o r n a -

n o w h e r e else to go, the

m e n t a t i o n m a d e of colorful

floors

take off in flight. T h e g r o u n d

ceramic tile, masonry, and alu-

floor swoops u p o n t o the m e z -

m i n u m trims the ledge of t h e

zanine, w h i l e t h e m e z z a n i n e

first tier of the building and can

sweeps d o w n o n t o the g r o u n d

b e viewed f r o m the pedestrian

floor. T h e flying floors release

b r i d g e that c o n n e c t s Baggage

plantings f r o m u n d e r t h e

C l a i m E and t h e Septa Train

g r o u n d , as if a j u n g l e was there

System to Terminal E.

all the t i m e waiting to spring

by Jackie Ferrara is part of t h e extensive renovation o f H a n c o c k Park, t h e t w e n t y - t h r e e acre Wilshire Boulevard site

t h e library."The w o r k is f u n d e d o n C a m p u s P r o g r a m , w h i c h was f o u n d e d in 1992 after t h e State of M i n n e s o t a passed o n e - p e r cent toward art legislation.

b e h i n d t h e Los Angeles C o u n t y M u s e u m of A r t (LACMA) a n d the Page M u s e u m at t h e La Brea tar pits. T h e seat wall draws a red stepped line d e s c e n d i n g f r o m LACMA past t h e half m o o n terrace a n d makes a w i d e arc t h r o u g h t h e park e n d i n g at t h e elliptical a m p h i t h e a t e r Ferrara c o m p l e t e d earlier in t h e r e n o v a tion. A l o n g t h e path g e o m e t r i c shapes c o m b i n e w i t h n u m e r i c a l systems that create stacking p a t -

Commissioned through the Public Art Fund's In the Public Realm p r o g r a m for e m e r g i n g artists, A f r i c a n - A m e r i c a n J o c e l y n Taylor has created a thought-provoking video installation, THE STORY OF COLOR. f o r t w o N e w York storefronts. Taylor's videos c o n t e m p l a t e t h e interplay of race, sexuality, and h u m a n i t y w i t h i n N e w

o u t . As t h e floors fly, they f o r m

CIRCULATION, R E P O h i s t o r y ' s

seats for people w i t h i n the

latest venture, takes over t h e

plantings, u p in the air, and

streets of M a n h a t t a n w i t h

u n d e r the floor. T h e e n d of t h e

u n i q u e signs, a map, posters,

ticketing pavilion is t u r n e d into

postcards, a W e b site at

an i n d o o r park." T h e w o r k was

w w w . r e p o h i s t o r y . o r g , and an

commissioned through

o n - l i n e zine at T h e B l e e d i n g

Philadelphia's Percent for Art

Edge, w w w . t h e b l e e d i n g e d g e .

Program.

org. Involving d o z e n s of artists

In January, artist Jackie Ferrara

or easily p a c k a g e d issues and

[ b e l o w l e f t Photo courtesy Public

and c o m m u n i t y collaborators,

installed t h e tallest and m o s t vis-

that set t o g e t h e r t h e y are p a r t i c -

Art Office Philadephia]

Circulation e x a m i n e s h u m a n

ible sculpture in t h e University

ularly c o m p l i c a t e d in c o n t e m -

blood: its history and its social

of Minnesota's public art collec-

p o r a r y society. O n v i e w M a r c h

significance, its role in t h e c i r c u -

tion. S T E P P E D T O W E R , sixty feet of

30â&#x20AC;&#x201D;April 27 at t h e Sigerson

latory system, and its similarity

red, u n p o l i s h e d granite, n o w

M o r r i s o n shoe b o u t i q u e ,

to o t h e r systems such as elec-

overlooks t h e Mississippi R i v e r

2 4 2 M o t t St. (at P r i n c e St.)

tricity, sewers, and subways.

at t h e campus's A n d e r s o n

a n d M a y 6 - J u n e 6 at

A m o n g t h e m a n y participating

Library in M i n n e a p o l i s . T h e

Williamsburg Mini-mall, 218

artists are G r e g Sholette, w h o

t o w e r consists o f 120 steps p r e -

B e d f o r d Ave. at N o r t h 5th St.

conceived and directed t h e

cisely t a p e r i n g u p from a t e n -

[below r i g h t Digital image courtesy

project, J i m C o n s t a n z o , Lisa

b y - t e n - f o o t base to a

Public Art Fund]

terns and w i t h black granite accents of squares a n d stripes. Ferrara collaborated w i t h l a n d scape architect Laurie O l i n , w h o designed the park, [below m i d d l e Photo courtesy the artist]

York's vast, diverse p o p u l a t i o n . T h r e e m o n i t o r s set u p side by side as a k i n d of t r i p t y c h depict five loosely c o n s t r u c t e d narratives e x p l o r i n g m y t h o l o gies associated w i t h colors a n d hues.Taylor seeks to relay that n e i t h e r race n o r desire are neat

Public Art R e v i e w . SPRING.SUMMER.00

RECENT

PROJECTS

For installation and p e r f o r m -

O n D e c e m b e r 1, 1999, Creative

A n d e t c h e d into t h e stainless

SEISMOFON is a seismic s o u n d

ance artist Angela Ellsworth,

T i m e l a u n c h e d its fifth annual

steel railing of the m e z z a n i n e

sculpture by T r i m p i n c o m m i s -

" b e a u t y " is s p a n d e x o n a p e r -

o n - l i n e DAY W I T H ( O U T ) ART ( D W A )

stairway are the words and

sioned L>y t h e Science M u s e u m

fectly t o n e d thigh or oil paint

W E B ACTION at w w w . c r e a t i v e -

music to Billy Strayhorn's classic

of M i n n e s o t a in St. Paul as part

o n canvas h u n g o n a m u s e u m

t i m e . o r g / d w a , an event u n i f y i n g

subway a n t h e m , "Take t h e A

of their n e w $100 million facil-

wall. Ellsworth sees a lot of s i m -

individuals over t h e evolving

T r a i n . " T h i s w o r k was c o m m i s -

ity o v e r l o o k i n g the Mississippi

ilarities b e t w e e n health fitness

i m p a c t o f HIV/AIDS.TWO actions

sioned by the M e t r o p o l i t a n

River. T h e piece contains f o u r

clubs and art m u s e u m s . H e r

w e r e i n i t i a t e d . T h e Banner Project

T r a n s p o r t a t i o n Authority's Arts

different sets of colored alu-

m o s t recent installation and p e r -

1999 is an o n - l i n e e x h i b i t i o n of

for Transit p r o g r a m .

m i n u m tubes of varied lengths.

f o r m a n c e piece,CLUB EXTRA,

c o m m i s s i o n e d " b a n n e r s " (small text-based ads that individuals

CODE 33: EMERGENCY, CLEAR THE AIR

T h e tubes h a n g f r o m the ceiling

w r y l y explores t h e c o n n e c t i o n s b e t w e e n these t w o places w e

can post o n their o w n W e b sites)

f r e q u e n t to " h e l p us transcend

reflecting a range of HIV/AIDS-

t h e physical to t h e ethereal."