Sound Instruments

I have been referencing musical instruments in my clay work since my post graduate visual arts degree. Making objects that emit sound, are tactile and encourage interaction begun in 1997 and continued until 2005.

AN EXPLORATION OF PORCELAIN AND MIXED MEDIA TO CREATE SOUND SCULPTUREAN EXPLORATION OF CERAMIC MEDIA TO CREATE SOUND SCULPTURE

In 1997 while undertaking post graduate studies at The university of Tasmania I began exploring the possibilities of sound through ceramic media in a way that encourages audience interaction on an audio, tactile and visual level. My intention was to break down the division between artist and audience, changing the audience’s role from passive receiver to initiator. The principal aim was to create cast ceramic forms that were capable of generating sound, and which, through their aesthetic and textural quality, invited an intimate tactile response. To this end, I aimed to produce sharp full forms, which were immediately commanding in their presence and possessed the characteristics of musical instruments. On the surface I wanted to integrate mechanically and musically inspired appendages of clay, metal, wood and string.

I began by researching artists who work in the field of interactive sound art. In particular, artists who have dealt with ambient sound (everyday, background sound) in a spontaneous way. A theme, which recurred throughout this research, was the difficulty in differentiating between noise, sound and music. Noise differs from sound only to the extent that the vibrations which produce it are confused and irregular. Every noise has a pitch, some even a chord, which predominates among its irregular vibrations. Distinguishing between ‘sound’ and ‘music’ is impossible and one does not exist without the other. It was also from this research that I considered the possibility of recording the sounds produced by the work and combining them with pedestrian noises (noises generated by man-made machinery).
I then experimented with ceramic forms, which were cast from various utilitarian objects to create hollow resonating chambers capable of producing sound. A variety of plaster moulds, clays, glazes, and firing temperatures were used and initial sound testing was carried out in an attempt to understand and control the diverse sounds that these hollow forms produce. Found mechanical objects were modified and incorporated into the clay pieces to function as compartments and supports to the ceramic forms and to encourage an interactive element of curiosity for the audience.

Porcelain was chosen as the ceramic medium because of its whiteness, seductive tactile quality and the highly polished finished that can be attained. Accordingly, the forms were left unglazed. The pieces were high fired to enhance their resonating quality and also to attain strength and durability, taking into consideration that they were to be handled. The use of quotations from the Braille alphabet on the surface of the work, in the form of fine raised dots, is to emphasize the importance of touch in the pieces. The found components comprise mostly metallic parts from household appliances, cars and musical instruments which emphasize the synergy between ambient noise and ordered sound. The stands have been chrome plated to create an alluring polished surface and one of the porcelain forms has been designed to fit snuggly into the curves of a performer’s body. Upon completion of the sculptures I collaborated with musicians from the Hobart Conservatorium of Music to play the pieces and record the sounds that they generated. The recording was then mixed with relevant pedestrian noises to create a soundtrack to be played during the exhibition.

The finished pieces invite audience interaction not only through sight and sound but also on a uniquely tactile level. They encourage people to explore beyond what they first see, inviting them to investigate inside the compartments and to read the Braille on the surface. The soundtrack played in conjunction with the exhibition is a mixture of sounds generated by the instruments interwoven with sounds of separate cycles of a washing machine, the popping of a toaster and the reverberation of a car engine.
This project has exposed the intricacies of working with porcelain and the casting process. It has made me aware of the infinite possibilities through the creation of forms, sounds and the amalgamation of metal and porcelain, and the exciting potential for further work in this area.