Public Works as Public Art
The art and design work I’ve always connected to most, draws me more fully into myself and more fully into the world. I gravitate towards experiencing and making work that softens the edges of our everyday experience and spaces. Work that is gentle and unassuming. Really, I like when a piece of music, design, art or landscape makes me feel more at home in the world, as if I’m supported and helped along by my environment instead of alienated and aggravated.
These pieces are part of a series of works revolving around environmental sound design, specifically, for our everyday environments and public spaces. The series explores some ways our public spaces could sound, and how intentional environmental sound design could soften the hard edges of the places we inhabit.
Public Works As Public Art - Washington Park Trimet stop
Situated 260 ft below sea level, this platform has an eerie hollow quiet to it, it’s unsettling and heavy. Despite the intentional geological theme/design of the space (A geological timeline—created from a drilling core sample—runs along the platform walls), there’s little attention to the way the space sounds and feels.
Blending the sounds of native bird and insect species, some of which were recorded in Washington Park, with an ambient mix of overlapping bell-like tones, the sound I've designed is meant to give the space a suspended feeling, maintaining an otherworldly and liminal quality that’s meditative, soft and calming.
Public Works As Public Art - Crosswalk Drone
A subtle drone created from wind chime tones. Designed to exist as an equal part of the environment, not louder and not softer than the birds or cars, but in concert with them.
Public Works As Public Art - Crosswalk Button
Celeste tones designed to accent the tactile and interactive quality of pressing the crosswalk button. Created to engage play and delight.