Archive for the ‘Exhibition’ Category

Vibrating Pask’s Ear

Thursday, August 2nd, 2007

Today, the audio amplifier failed on Andy Websters Sound-Generated Thread System. This was due to the dendrite growing to its maximum and shorting out the output stage of the amplifier. So I have brought in my trusty old amp I made when I was 15 (Sinclair kit), and connected a loudspeaker in series with the dendrite to save the amp, and am now passing rectified audio, rather than smoothed (1000uf). Direct AC may well be interesting as this would have an effect like the tide, eroding and depositing the metal ions in flux with the audio signal. Sound is being picked up in the space of other sound works with four microphones, and fed to the dendrite, especially influential are the wine glass tones from Tuning Pask’s Ear (by J.Bird & A.Webster) and the pulsing sounds of Dendrite (by Roman Kirschner).

The glass vessel holding the electrodes and Copper Sulphate solution, rests via foamboard, on top of the upturned loudspeaker. Physical sound vibrations are now being fed to the dendrite, adding a feedback loop which may encourage dendrites to physically resonate with particular tones. The signal to the speaker is then likely to be modulated by dendritic formations so as to cause audio feedback. More sound of that particular frequency is encouraged, that sound gets louder, which may then reach a point where the dendrite shakes itself to bits. All speculation of course.

Audio Dendrite II

Exhibition Opens!

Wednesday, July 25th, 2007

Maverick Machines opened on Monday evening, with a wonderful opening speech by Timothy O’Shea, Principle of the University of Edinburgh. Tim recounted anecdotes of the time he had invited Pask up to Edinburgh in the 1970′s, bringing the spirit of Pask very much to life.

Timothy mentioned that many of Pask’s machines were truly maverick, malfunctioned and were unreliable – and as if Pask’s spirit was in the exhibition, two reliable displays that had been working for the preceding two days suddenly malfunctioned and stopped working….

The opening was a great success full of animated discussions, interactions and conversations.

Below are a series of photographs of the exhibition, commencing from the entrance and moving clockwise around the space.

Entrance to Exhibition PIR Illuminated Posters Central Area Solar Stacking Electrochemical Glasses E-Synthesiser E-Synth Oscilloscope & DVD’s Three Videos Central right side of exhibition Axon Technologies Memory Device Sound-Generated Thread System, DLA Simulation Close up - two Days of audio stimulation Hearing a Reality Video works from Bartlett Evolving Sonic Environment III Sensitive Light, velvet curtains and plant

More to follow..