marfa sound glyphs
a book to accompany an immersive sound installation by ethan primason & caroline partamian
Balmorhea
Davis Mountains Preserve Chihuahuan Desert Research institute
MARFA, TX
Antelope Hills Rd Marfa Lights
Giant Marfa
Marfa is 1.6 m2 Davis Mountains Preserve is 45 miles N and W of Marfa CDRI is 26 miles N and E of Marfa Balmorhea is 54 miles N of Marfa Marfa Lights Viewing Area is 9 miles E of Marfa Giant Marfa Mural Installation is 5 miles W of Marfa
The pictures and drawings in this book are a visual representation of daily ritualized sound walks we took in and around Marfa, Texas in the summer of 2019. Some of the spaces we travelled to were predetermined, some we found serendipitously on foot and bike, and others were recommended to us by friends we made during our stay. This daily ritual involved listening to, recording, and drawing the sounds we encountered at each location as an automatic and unbiased practice - a chance to intentionally absorb and reflect the sonic character of a place. This collection of glyphs and recordings were then used as the material for an immersive sculptural sound installation. Mounted with springs and hung within frames built with materials found throughout Marfa, a series of six industrial steel sheets were built, chemically treated, engraved and fixed with tactile transducers, creating a six channel reverberating sound system. Through these drawings and metal speakers, a new context was revealed by our practice - a work created through the process of constant reinterpretation - repetitive daily encounters, a visual record of sonic impressions, the modulation of natural sound, and the unforeseen character of amplified raw material. The installation was presented at Marfa Open, 102 S. Plateau Street, from August 2nd - August 10th, with an additional installation and discussion presented at the Crowley Theater on August 12th.
Caroline Partamian is a sound and visual artist influenced by her training in dance. She works specifically with the concept of abreaction – the extraction of dormant memory stored within a muscle, resurfaced through physical movement, of which an individual was previously unaware.By focusing on the process rather than anticipated result, her work encourages what can be revealed when one becomes wconscious of their kinetic movement in the process of creation. Ethan Primason is a sound artist, recording engineer, and musician. His works and practices are heavily collaborative and guided by anthropological and ritualized approaches towards sound, transmission, sculpture, and place. Thank you to Marfa Open, Marfa Public Radio, and all the friends we’ve made for helping to facilitate our project. contact caroline.partamian@gmail.com eprimason@gmail.com
Published by Weird Babes © 2019
Marfa, Texas 2019