, windwitness WEBTWOrkshops

in progress Two year world wide collaboration project on Baffin Island, Canada (in progress transportation and ecological issues)

photographs of Gloria DeFilipps Brush

Wright State University exhibition; later & now

 

 

Splayed "bicycle spoke wires"over a vacant horse pasture below our small barn, 22 gauge galvanized steel strands anchored to a tree radiate out and are tied to wooden fence posts to the right and left of center. (ladder is seen leaning against the tree)

1970s facsimilie Telecopier (fax) manufactured by 3M by which the gery scale of the umage was read and translated into the audible range of frequencies-- and from which an image was created by a needle correspondingly scratching into an off-white coated paper having a carbon base. ((These needles gouged out a continuous grouve, tracking as in LP or 45rpm recordings; however, this recording medium is plastic.))

fax sonogram: arrow indicates an isolated now flake against backgound noise .

A cassete has played back sounds into the Facsimilie Telecopier: band 1 telephone talk, 2 rain drops, 3 telephone dial tone, 4 wind, 5 dial tone, 6 wind at higher volume, 7 sine wave. (In this B&W 8 x 11 inch sonogram a steel stylus actually recorded a series of grooves into the carbon-coated paper.)

Bands over time depicting sound-only from three telephone sources joined in a AT&T landline conference call.)

The recorder playback syncing of these shown Faxes was not possible and resulted in imaging shifts.

 

Terrain playings of landscape plants &insects

This focusable parabola, using a scrapped camera tripod, was able to position the dynamic microphone at the precise sounding position. Recording challenges, in daytime and nightime included the skimming slightly ove theplane of crickets, tops of prairie grasses, red clover and wheat and corn stalk tasles.

--inspired painting in the landscape. (Picts:OXBOW t-way radio-instructed , lake Michigan shoreline paintings)

Coralvillle, Iowa barn and garage; barn painted on right (6 yards of cotton canvas)

(picts fr/Lake Michigan) Continuing from earlier directed AM radio-transmitted Lake Michigan on- shore paintings, I've updated the process to include altering human made objects. In Iowa I also used the two-way radio to direct fast drying acrylic paints to alter the appearance of a specific object on/in the landscape. In Coralville I decided to alter the barns physical presence. Descriptive tape recorded comments and reactions spoken by myself prior to painting were played back and used to influence those colors and forms. To be successful, the painting would have to totally transform the barn-visually- and yet be re-fited into the environment and remain a compatible "man made structure."
I departed acrylic painting media and did not get to cover the roof and other walls. From this aborted experience, I could see that I would be somewhat successful- were I to continue- and did not finish. I had more pressing interests. Our only daughter, Sanna was born. Gloria's teaching quests. Our one acre farm. The challenges my various sound constructions offered and a time-share with my U o I owa City, FA classes.

University of Iowa, Iowa City Art Department

Multimedia class project: create a painting-like object covered with 3D objects that when resisting wind would create sounds during flight time...FM transmitters aboard relayed these sounds to radios lining both shores

RIVERHARPS scroll down

 

Iowa City Transit Article

West looking view of Iowa River with prominent residence hall and for alum visitors

Detail of a Bosch painted detail where, from my imagination, existed as a naturally formed hybrid treehouse. The appended and drooping escape hatch was for exiting quietly. A boat to a favorite stream awaits without. The ladder could be pulled in for restfull dreamtime.

 

The East to West riverharps parallel and floats beneath this articulated and inflatable barge- modeled after Ivory bars on the Chicago River.

Detailing the structural forms including the ((not in their final forms (below) and part of the proposed construction for the opposing banks of the Iowa City River East (leif BRUSH) and West bank (after Hieronymus Bosch's treehouse w/central ladder in this particular "Earthly Delights panel)). The harps final "skins"-as in the Statue of Liberty statue-would have had bulbous copper sheathing which shrouded the parallel steel supporting beams.

 

Bosch - Brush Public Control Booth

This Terrain Instrument "sound sculpture's"* initial design and concepts were lauded by then University of Iowa President and the some members of departments including computing, physics and engineering. Art unanimously abstained. Though the river flowed closest to the liberal arts school, they hosted only the approved Graduate College feasibility study and other paperwork flows. Students who would have signed up in advance could accompany their instructor and were both assured privacy by using a retractable jute ladder. The then developing Iowa City Center for the Arts staff were to have planned events around an accompanying moored barge to have been tied up beneath the RiverHarps and nearby Clapp Auditorium. (images and text below ASAP)
* During the conceptual and pre-planning aspects this soundwork segued into my Terrain Instrument series of projects-in-the-landscape and was coincidental with an interest in Salvatore Martirano's Constructions.

 

continues