Sound Off!

This week was all about sound. I recorded some oceanic sounds and a very talented saxophonist for my piece, and I am thrilled with the results. I also got a lot of my second sculpture completed. This week I realized just how many elements there are to consider. Everything from the viewer's relationship with the sculpture's opening, to the timbre of a musical instrument can influence the success of the piece. My goal for next week is to pay more careful attention to small details without losing sight of the big picture. I plan on creating a nearly completed mix of the sounds I have collected thus far, and hopefully finishing the second sculpture. Below I have a small sample of sound with (probably) all of the finished tracks mixed in for the first sculpture.

On To The Next One

This week I finished sculpting my first sculpture, began work on the second, and recorded more sound. I got a lot of great feedback in my critique, and realized that I am showing off the interior of the first sculpture because you are able to see down inside of it. I can highlight that feature by making the inside a really vibrant color. I need to run some tests for next week on small test tiles to see what glazes or treatments I'll be using for the surfaces of my sculpture. This weekend I will hopefully have my second sculpture ready for carving.

The Fun Part.

This week I finally got to test the sound in my first finished form, and begin the "fun part", which for me is carving the texture into the clay. I had an amazing chat with Stephanie and Jim, and walked away with a million new things to think about. The thought that made the most immediate change to my process was that mimicking the texture of the sound with the texture of the sculpture doesn't leave much to the imagination, and doesn't challenge the viewer. As Jim said, "the sound is already LITERALLY coming out of the sculpture. THEY'RE CONNECTED!" So, I have been incorporating some unexpected elements in the design of the first sculpture in order to allow the viewer to make various associations between the sculpture and the sound. For next week, I am recording a lot more, and getting the bulk of my 2nd sculpture completed. I am in the process of setting up times to record a violin, saxophone, and trumpet, and could not be more thrilled!

Serious Goals

As time is running low, I find myself both terrified and eager to make serious progress on my project. I sometimes find myself rushing, and the process becomes unenjoyable. Other times the long hours help get me into the groove of building, and make the process more exciting. Finding a balance is key, but also setting serious goals for when things will be accomplished is essential.

This week was dedicated to building and figuring out which sounds I need to obtain for the remainder of the pieces. I have been recording and experimenting with a bunch of different things, and hope to have something I'm happy with come this time next week.

For next week, my goal is to have one sculpture ready to bisque and some sound clips ready for my second piece. Below is a photo of the interior of sculpture one. The grooves are to eliminate some of the echo caused by the shape of the piece.