Forsaken River - 2022

Forsaken river is a woven sound sculpture made of reclaimed bubble wrap, bolts, copper pipe, and fishing line. The piece is a continuation of fiber art sound sculptures made primarily of VHS tape. The piece is hung by the copper pipe on a wall or in the middle of the room to gain access to both sides of the sculpture, and is activated by the audience's touch. Unlike the other fiber sound sculptures I’ve made, this one has several different materials - and thus several different ways in order to make sound. A viewer can hit the copper pipe, move the bolts, scrape the uncovered fishing line, or pull at the bubble wrap. 

The intention and method is similar to what I have explored in other sound sculptures - employing touch, sound, and visual elements to create a more impactful experience. However, in order for the piece to transform from a visual sculpture to a sound object, the audience must touch it. Through experiments and other works, I have found that materials such as bubble wrap and VHS tape - which are fairly common in our lives, but only in specific circumstances - once torn apart and made into a new form, draw viewers in. The first instinct many viewers have is to ask to touch the sculpture, even before its purpose is introduced. The sculpture is designed to visually draw in the viewer and incite the inclination to touch - breaking a societal norm of viewing art from afar. In order to do this, specific weaving techniques were chosen to create an interesting texture, and structural inconsistencies were included to create visual interest. The material serves not only as a way to draw audiences in, but also as a way to connect with a broader message of re-use, excess waste, and sustainability. 

The size and multi-component design allows this sculpture to be easily manipulated by several people instead of just one or two, creating a sort of group improvisation using the sculpture as both a score to interpret and an instrument to play. By constructing engagement with fellow viewers, yet another element is engaged to create a deeper experience, as well as a more compelling and versatile soundscape.

Because of the impact of COVID on touch-based interactive media, I have only been able to show my fiber art sound sculptures in art shows without the interactive element. The documentation below is from an open studio event among friends, and is therefore not the ideal space for a showing.