I recently visited a sonic art exhibition at the Fold Gallery in London called Quadraphonic which I found out about on Art Rabbit, a website which lists a wide variety of exhibitions. Having never been there before and not being a resident of London it took a little while to find it, but it was well worth the effort.
The show runs from Friday 12th August 2011 – Sunday 28th August 2011 and showcases the artwork of the following artists:
Giles Corby NT Philippa Ramsden
James Thomas Solina Hi-Fi
(click on the names above to view more details about their work)
The gallery can be found on a small street near London Fields overground train station. As you walk to the door, you notice a sign asking you to push a buzzer 3 times for entry. This granted me access to the gallery on the top floor of the building.
My personal favourite was the piece “Unititled” by Philippa Ramsden. It activated as soon as I began to walk into the dark tunnel. Ramsden talks about “the Duchampian concern of object/subject relationship” lying at the core of her work and postulates that “the artwork itself does not exist without the presence of the audience”. The audience in this case is essential to the piece. Without it, the piece lies dormant, patiently waiting for an interaction in order for it to live. Sound begins to surround you as you journey deep into a dark black tunnel. You can see nothing ahead of you, it is all pitch black. Presently a zephyr-like breeze washes over you and then stops. You venture further into the tunnel all the while concerned about where it may end and what, if anything, may lie there.
It reminded me very much of being in a dark cave, or sitting out in a sheltered spot on a dark night. Nature felt very close, and the tunnel felt in some ways alive and a little uneasy. The darkness worked well to heighten the senses so the experienced sound and breeze felt all the more intense. I feel sure that this is a piece that will have a different personal resonance for each spectator that enters it.
The other pieces in this collection are also well worth viewing. Some being purely sonic experiences, such as the recordings of Nicola Thomas (NT), while others work in collaboration such as the drawings of James Thomas and the sonic environment created by Solina Hi-Fi. Giles Corby‘s piece links sculpture and a sonic soundscape.
Helen Wheeler 