-
a collection of ideas and statements -
Marloes
van Son
1.
A
short introduction: I sometimes describe myself as a builder of
systems, a manipulator of phenomena, or a curious explorer. Currently
I am creating objects that I call ‘Devices’. These objects mainly
deal with alternative electronic sound generators; using
stepper-motors, unstable oscillators and Arduino-programs as
sound-sources.
2.
John
Cage: 'Wherever we are, what we hear is mostly noise. When
we ignore it, it disturbs us. When we listen to it, we find it
fascinating. The sound of a truck at fifty miles per hour. Static
between the stations. Rain. We want to capture and control these
sounds, to use them not as sound effects but as musical
instruments.' [1]
Taking
this statement of John Cage literally, the idea of an art-device
formed. I define art-devices as objects
that produce light, sound or movement. They can be used, composed
with, controlled or influenced by a user. Within art-devices,
technology has to be an integrated element. One could say that the
technology is the content. Without functioning technology the device
will degrade to an object and lose its full meaning. This means that
art-devices possess a sort of non-functional functionality: they have
a certain function, but not necessarily a useful one. An unused and
no longer functioning art-device is like an empty shell. It retains
some of its former meaning, but no longer does it live up to what the
maker intended.
3.
A
definition of artistic practice: 'Artistic
practice in general can be described as a process of
conceptual enquiry and making meaning.' [2]
One
of my favourite ways to create meaning is by repurposing technology.
I often describe my artistic practice as an exploration of systems.
Some of these systems work better than expected, and others break
down soon after a piece is installed. By (mis)using technology, one
cannot exactly know how long an art-device will last. I have been
fighting against wear and tear. Whenever an artwork seemed to
malfunction, I would obsessively try to repair it by replacing parts
or altering things. I now realise that technical artworks don't
necessarily have to function forever. Technology expires, gets
replaced, becomes obsolete and apart from that the ideas and
aesthetics of an art-piece might
not last either.
An
example of this is my installation COLC-undrown, which consists of a
custom-built large scale whirlpool that creates light projections and
changes over time. The mechanics of the piece were based on small
electrical stirring devices that are commonly used in chemistry.
These stirring devices consist of a rotating magnet under a platform
on which a vessel filled with fluid is placed. A magnetic stir-bar is
placed inside the fluid-filled-vessel. The magnetic stir-bar follows
the motion of the rotating magnet below. This rotating motion creates
a whirlpool inside the fluid. My large-scale vessel was made out of
plexiglass. At the time I did not realise that the continuous
stirring motion would slowly erode the bottom of the plexiglass
vessel that I used. The erosion created a small concave hollow at the
very centre of the whirlpool. The stir-bar was turning on top of this
hollow and would slowly experience more and more resistance, until
the whole installation did not function any longer. I noticed the
unintended change in movement over time and became increasingly
stressed about the workings of my installation. However, during the
exhibition, nothing could be done about it. Afterwards I redesigned
the whole stir-bar mechanism. It now has a fixed rotational point
with a bearing in the centre of the whirlpool. The bearing can be
easily adjusted or replaced and the erosion-trouble has since been
absent.
4.
I
refer to changing movements over time as compositions, in much the
same way that a composer would speak about a musical composition.
Most mechanical movements produce some sort of sound, whether
intentional or not. In order to fully integrate technology in my
art-pieces, I will also have to embrace its side effects. Within
'Devices' I try to specifically use the sonic qualities of mechanical
movement, by manipulating movements to create experimental
sound-compositions.
Art-devices
are closely related to instruments, referring to both the musical and
scientific kind. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines 'instrument'
as:
- a tool or device used for a particular purpose; especially : a tool or device designed to do careful and exact work
- a device that measures something (such as temperature or distance)
- a device that is used to make music [3]
From
this follows, that an instrument is a specific kind of device.
Instruments produce something, wether that is data or
sound (which is a kind of data), or it enables production in the form
of a tool. An art-device logically also produces something, but that
something is much harder to define. In my opinion, art-devices
produce a different view of an ordinary object. The main difference
with a musical or scientific instrument is, that an art-device does
not necessarily produce something predictable. Where keys on
instruments produce predetermined tones, art-devices do not have to
follow that same logic. The intention on an art-device is after all,
to spark a thought, divert the mind, or create something unusual.
Although an art-device should be used by an audience or performer in
order to to reveal its potential, they don't have to be user
friendly. Sometimes the struggle of a user will enhance an underlying
idea.
5.
Why
I make art-devices: I build, invent and develop. I see developing as
a process, that is partly controlled by the developer and partly
controlled by unforeseen processes; the material, the environment,
available tools, the user, etc. I have always been curious about how
things work. My way of really understanding how something works, is
by building my own version. However, while building my own version I
often diverge from the original plan. The resulting art-device
contains components of an original device, but its function and
functionality might have completely changed.
This
is reflected in the building-process of RESO. I have used
stepper-motors in several other installations for movement-purposes.
While fine-tuning the speed of these motors, I noticed that the
resonating frequency changed according to the velocity of the
rotation. A change in speed would create something that came close to
a melody. It even sounded pleasant due to the harmonics that the
stepper-motor produced. In line with the quote from John Cage that I
mentioned in the beginning of this article, I don't want to use these
sounds as sound-effects. I want to capture and control them, and turn
it into an instrument. RESO is an early experimental version of an
art-device. It's not yet as pleasant to listen to its amplified sound
as I hoped. The balance between high and low frequencies is not yet
right. A second, third and probably even more versions will have to
be built, before I am satisfied with the way it works. The artistic
practice of an inventor: most devices are never truly finished.
[1]
Cage, J. (1937). The
Future of Music: Credo.
[2]
Emily Pringle, 'The Artist as Educator: Examining Relationships
between Art Practice and Pedagogy in the Gallery Context', Tate
Papers,
no.11, Spring 2009,
http://www.tate.org.uk/research/publications/tate-papers/11/artist-as-educator-examining-relationships-between-art-practice-and-pedagogy-in-gallery-context,
accessed 13 October 2016.
[3]
'Definition
of Instrument.' Merriam-Webster.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instrument, accessed 13
October 2016.
