AERONAUT
a sound installation by Judy Dunaway
part of the
Harvestworks "New Waves in Art and Tech" Exhibition
Building 10A, Nolan Park
Governors Island, NYC
Fri/Sat/Sun 11:30am-4pm
May 17 - August 18, 2024
Artist talk about installation:
- Saturday, June 15 at 2:45pm (as part of Governors Island "Third Saturdays" events)
- also Sunday, June 16 at 2:45pm
This site-specific sound installation commemorated pioneer daredevil aviator Charles K. (“Charlie”) Hamilton making the first round trip flight between New York City and Philadelphia on June 13, 1910, taking off from and returning to Governors Island. Hamilton was, in the words of the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission, "known for his dangerous dives, spectacular crashes, and extensive reconstructive surgeries.” Hamilton survived more than 60 crashes, but ultimately died an early death at age 28 as the cumulative result of his injuries.
The installation worked with the themes of air, floating and simple motorized devices featuring inflated latex balloons as sound conduits. In the "Floating" sound sculptures, donut-shaped latex balloons located both in the secret inner stairwell (pictured above) and the pantry room naturally amplified low frequencies made by motors hidden in the center (no speakers or external sound sources are used). Invisible patterns of sound intensity create silent acoustic “holes” in the pantry room, reflecting the visual image. Meanwhile, the artist contributed daily to her “tapestry” of twister balloons in colors that reflected on the fleeting nature of life (Balloon Tapestry with the Sound of Its Own Making - Tribute to Robert Morris) (see video below). The sound of the making of the tapestry, along with any ancillary sounds, were recorded. When the activity was not happening, the tapestry, in its ongoing state, was displayed in the room and the recording was played back, both as a documentation of the ongoing process. As the audio library increased, the balloon tapestries slowly disintegrated.
Harvestworks "New Waves in Art and Tech" Exhibition
Building 10A, Nolan Park
Governors Island, NYC
Fri/Sat/Sun 11:30am-4pm
May 17 - August 18, 2024
Artist talk about installation:
- Saturday, June 15 at 2:45pm (as part of Governors Island "Third Saturdays" events)
- also Sunday, June 16 at 2:45pm
This site-specific sound installation commemorated pioneer daredevil aviator Charles K. (“Charlie”) Hamilton making the first round trip flight between New York City and Philadelphia on June 13, 1910, taking off from and returning to Governors Island. Hamilton was, in the words of the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission, "known for his dangerous dives, spectacular crashes, and extensive reconstructive surgeries.” Hamilton survived more than 60 crashes, but ultimately died an early death at age 28 as the cumulative result of his injuries.
The installation worked with the themes of air, floating and simple motorized devices featuring inflated latex balloons as sound conduits. In the "Floating" sound sculptures, donut-shaped latex balloons located both in the secret inner stairwell (pictured above) and the pantry room naturally amplified low frequencies made by motors hidden in the center (no speakers or external sound sources are used). Invisible patterns of sound intensity create silent acoustic “holes” in the pantry room, reflecting the visual image. Meanwhile, the artist contributed daily to her “tapestry” of twister balloons in colors that reflected on the fleeting nature of life (Balloon Tapestry with the Sound of Its Own Making - Tribute to Robert Morris) (see video below). The sound of the making of the tapestry, along with any ancillary sounds, were recorded. When the activity was not happening, the tapestry, in its ongoing state, was displayed in the room and the recording was played back, both as a documentation of the ongoing process. As the audio library increased, the balloon tapestries slowly disintegrated.