When reflecting upon different kind of sound installations, one grabbed my attention the most, due to the effect it created.
An artist called Stephen Shearer created a piece called Toolshed (2003). Heavy metal guitar was played intermittently extremely loud inside a small aluminium shed which then, due to the vibrations shook the structure. In this case the sheer volume of the music physically affected the object. The aesthetic of this was described as according to Shearer, the shed was where “a teenager might go to sniff gas” (Campbell 2005: 97; see also Prince 2007). The shed apparently gave off club like dance aesthetic which contrasted with the formality and plainness of the appearance of the installation creating a literal and underlying tension.
I was extremely interested in this idea of creating and playing with atmosphere. I then started to consider what sounds created this tension. When considering Toolshed, the volume at which the heavy-metal is played and the size of the shed meant that the impacted on each other largely. One experiment I did was recorded a friend playing drums from behind a wall and on top of stairs. It is interesting to consider how environment has an impact of sound. If i had more of a choice, for a sound instillation, I would have the drums be played very loudly in a child’s pink blow up tent. The harsh sound of the drums would then contradict heavily with the aesthetic of the delicate pretty tent. I feel that listeners could then deduct a meaning and message maybe concerning childhood troubles.
‘Drums’ and other experiments can be heard at the top of the page.
Sound As Practice 