Since my last post, I have been all over the place, working away, getting prints to the framers, producing marketing material, visiting exhibitions of other artists’ works ….
I am gearing up for my first solo exhibition and most of the tasks are done or on schedule, the latest of which was getting artwork approved for the PV. The first tranche of invites went out over the Bank Holiday weekend. I’ll be adding to that with subsequent mailings to additional people.
In one of my planning meetings for this show I was asked by the curator as to what sounds I heard whilst I was making my images. She also said that in their experience in the gallery, a silent gallery resulted in little or no dialogue between viewers and it would be interesting to have a soundtrack running that represented my aural experiences whilst making the series.
Well…..I had to step up to the plate. After researching available tracks and also after Mrs O’s cousin had researched contemporary music from Japan but sourced in Spain I settled on the fact that I needed to record sound at some of my shooting locations. And so another string has been added to my bow. I bought a small stereo recorder and asked Mrs O to delve into her stash of material for suitable wind jamming fabric. I have no idea just how much of a stash she has. There are some things best left unasked in my opinion. Anyhow, she produced a delightful purple fleece that I improvised with and it worked well. She then went on to fabricate a bag from this fleece packed with wadding that worked even better.
I must have looked a trifle odd standing at some of these sites with what looked like a purple wash bag hung at arm’s length whilst I recorded sounds. It was whilst doing this at one site in complete silence- I hardly dared to breathe the microphone was that sensitive that I watched a fox trotting through his/her territory on the other side of the river. It hopped up on the concrete parapet of the retaining wall just as our old Labrador – Bilbo- used to do whenever he walked alongside a low wall. That brought some memories back. Further on I came across the delightful scene of a swan showing off her two grey cygnets – such a delight, but today, she had the pair on her back, even more delightful.
In the news today, there were reports of traffic noise causing a weight increase. I have noticed a few fractions going on the scales over the last week. Is this due to hearing an incessant loop of ambient sounds at my locations, all of which contain no end of traffic noise?
28 minutes of sound have so far been spliced into one seamless loop. I think it will work well in the gallery.
Over the weekend, we went to two art events. A preview of Suffolk Open Studios at Harkstead church where the WI provided exceptionally good coffee and a very agreeable brownie. Cake and art go well together. Mrs O bought a little wire Wren from Harkstead. A charming little piece that now adorns a place in our hallway.
In the afternoon we visited Triangle – a local group of artists near us whose properties formed an isosceles triangle just North of us. Following a grim grey morning, the afternoon delivered charmingly bright weather that complimented the art. All in all Saturday was a good day.
The last major task for me this week is to get my final 4 large format prints on the production line. Then we really will be cooking on gas.