8/02 terrestrial artifacts: Terrain Instruments Meany ice shelf ; natural radio-extraterrestrial Sferics, Oscar Satellite relayings and modulated laser deliveries

*in progress07*

 

1977

(Phil) Meany ice shelf, Lake Superior

conceptual realtime international listening site linkable via passaroundsound.net (intlistening nodes)

I wish to permanently re-start this project w/a buoy and sensor combination in the summer. The configuration shown below depicts the winter site. This installation was first heard in Chicago, and I was not able to take advantage of my newly acquired triaxial sensor for simultaneously listening to three nodes w/in the triangle below. A fourth node was to have also been heard w/the strand shown reaching the shore edge.

*in progress04*

Recording session at 30 below zero (DC powered Nagra 4.2L reeltoreel, 15ips analog recordings)

16 and 22 gauge wires about a foot above the ice floe were anchored in the ice by turnbuckles . This triangulation successfully yielded full track Nagra analog recordings. Surface winds regularly blew dandruff-sized snow crystal into the strands. However, the wire on the right headed back toward shore where sustained recordings were never made because of the snomobile noise.

Rubber encased Edo Western transducers were embedded beneath the four nodes of the triangulation (top), including the one linked to the shore (above r in closeup) and each sensor was covered with packed ice as shown. A strand was attached to the visible eyebolt. The resulting mound was watered and froze quickly. When finally hacked loose, the rubber coated sensors did survive after monitoring spectacular vibrations. These included a near deafening horizontal lightning-sounded ice cracking, sloshing water below the ice and of course, the snowmobilers.

Phil Meany clears the blown snow build-up from beneath and along all the wires. These each had a pair of Columbia Research Lab accelerometers attached at both ends. The encased rubber hydrophones could detect the snowmobilers from miles away. At this point I was hearing sloshing beneath the approximately foot thick ice and pitched motor noises.)

Dayglo orange tags flapping-in-the-wind-chilling afternoon were unsuccessfull against a bundled-bunch of riders who skimed over all four strands in a 1 through 9 order.

color installation view-

Dutch Elm disease claimed these trees which I found in a nearby alley and were borrowed ftemporarily. Imported Sources performance with Gloria DeFilipps Brush

in the Midway Studios of the University of Chicago

When the matte black felt (pictured above) was removed from its Velcro-hold a mirror was revealed. The sound-modulated METROLOGIC laser beam passed around audio via front surface mirrors among the trees one by one. With each movement of the modulatable-beam, a new sound stream was activated. The room was fullest at the final tree. Ice floe rumbles, Sferics and counterpoint snow crystals signaled the performance conclusion.

Reel to reel tape recordings were made at earlier times on or near the Meany Lake Superior inlet. The extraterrestrial Sfercs were listened to using a home made wooden framed receiving antenna/monitor mounted vertically and anchored to a shoreline outcropping. These high pitched streaked-sounds were recorded on a Nagra 4.2L recorder. Studio amplifiers from an equalized telephone pair received the Sferics sent via shortwave radio to the amateur Oscar 1 satellite and outputing these imported sources into the speakered gallery space below.

 

 

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