Gloria DeFilipps Brush PHOTOGRAPHS
Terrain Instruments
(comments)
View of one portion
of the Terrain Instrument sites. Near top right, the horizontal
yellow metal line which moves continuosly left is the windribbon
and is 200 feet from birch tree to birch tree. The WR primarily
is THE wind monitor. Two identical sensors are attached near both
ends and transmit their output via seperate FM channels, Shown
two brown circles: these are magnesium computer discs from the
1950s. Similar monitorings and sensor/FMs are also attached to
both discs. These are positioined deliberately to catch havily-laden-rain-on-leaves
and rain in general. Their varied rain drops are used to switch
other instruments on or off, The strand array from the bottom
left meets up some distance away to those trees having identical
sounding boards. Referred to as the tree harps networing, these
strands receive all alements and this portion is mainly listend
to for the sounding effects caused by the tightening and relaxing
caused by gusts.
The DRAFT MONITORS
are susceptible to wind variations up to pre-storm gusts. (Flies
travel at their own risk through these potentially hazardous strands,
however, there usually are no insect problems on dry, clear and
breezy days.)
The red Frap sensor
on the left in this prototype is able to sense the complete collection
of vibrations from the wooden frame caused by breezes and wind
gusts passing on through.
The central sensor is
a stereo version and shares in the pickup of all vibrating wires.
They are held very tight by springs which assures that they are
very tight- for standing up to stiff gusts.
Detail of the above
3/4 inch copper framed sound construction. Upon entering a pre-amp,
the combined signals are fed into an audio amplifier. With a house
that has extra windows it is an intercepted realtime multiple
sound source. Wind in your face and its sound in your ears- amped
quad channels.
sound sculpture performance
concept- satellite relayed
The depicted Braun Sixtant
dirigible receives data from a variety of sensors and simultaneously
resends these analog mirrorings- which are varied aural surface
layerings, including the escarpment's face together with an array
of terrain sound and vibrations for multiplex input- and utilizing
radar, satellite andFM-transmitting/receiving channels. Together
in tandem with visual counterparts, these terrain surfaces are
observed by stationary cameras in the dirigible. Imaging this
vision uses heat-imaging sensors together with a fish-eye video
lens. Incoming inputs are mixed together in the dirigible. This
fusion merging of sound and image is intended to provide a perceptually
faux holographic whole. This spatial capture, necessarily, includes
enrichments from nuanced sound playings of earthen features, whose
anomolies may be wind-disturbed, emphasizing aural/visual textures
and expected wide ranging fluxed soundings. Realtime describes
this cahllenge: these aural and visual counterparts from exisiting
inputs are combined (multiplexed) in the Braun Sixtant and are
instantly re-relayed to the ground-to-satellite uplink. This whole
context is simultaneously handed over (uploaded) to Westar IV
satellite and thereafter may be demultiplexed (decoded) and downloaded
into the black set top box for re-construction into multiple speakers
of all the sound and vision details.
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My endeavors in sound have explored
a catalyst role, sharing through a variety of public performances
the potentials of amplified, otherwise unheard, contextual natural
phenomena. I have used current technological delivery methods
through which this spatial sound can reach a listener anywhere.For
more than fifteen years, I have used the windribbon sound source,
consisting of a half-inch brass ribbon stretched taut by a pair
of hefty turnbuckles 250 feet between birch trees. For realtime
transmissions of these and other sounds, I have at various times
used tape, equalized telephone pairs, two-way satellite channels,
or 200 transported speakers and a microprocessor for installations.
This sound has combined my Terrain Instrument man made objects
in many physical and electronic varieties. They passively have
offered wind produced and accelerometer-amplified vibrations from
breezes to heavy gusts; snow and single raindrops heard for their
individual sound and spectral signatures; Lakes Michigan and Superior
audible-range soundings in frozen ice floes , as well as hydrophone-monitored
water volumes. The tree and its root systems have presented a
challenge. Audibly, most tree's vibrations sound much the same.
Deciduous and conifer trees however, can produce subtle and nuanced
sonic differences. Overall, the Terrain Instruments along with
solar-powered electronic preamps are my preference for sensing
and amplifying unheard natural vibrations. I concentrate on those
sounds which come directly from natural sources. My ongoing work,
particularly with the WindRibbon, will continue to allow me to
perfect an imagery component to the sounds, which can compliment
those imaginings conjured upon first hearing these familiar, yet
unique sounds. My work continues to be participatory in the sense
that an ear approach is necessary for the second look at nature.
I listen for new potentials from terrestrial sferics, ground-truth
(trees, etc) , the earth's sonics continue as focal research (key
words: Windscube and Meadow Piano) , terrestrial and extraterrestrial
spatial audible constructs, and especially, currently, from the
(keyword)Mars Microphone.
My evolving interest is to re-awaken the natural energy in a world
wired for what. I want to reaffirm the need to reconnect realtime
with natural phenomena via PASSAROUNDSOUND.net Wikipedia, in progress Leif BRUSH
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