Artist: W.E. Hawkins
Improv Sculpture No 1 - Oceans of Europa =
icy tectonic sound world
for fixed electronics
Oceans of Europa (2024) Program Notes
Improv Sculpture No 1 - Oceans of Europa explores the subconscious synergies between five improvisations recorded within a two-hour span. These five energetic journeys on the keyboard each used one of five mostly un-pitched sounds taken from everyday items - plastic cup scrape on table, dice in a box, hole-puncher, aluminum foil, and penny on a glass vase. Each improvisation represents my first encounter with that specific sound mapped onto the sampler keyboard, enhancing the organic and subconscious nature of the experiment. The chaos resulting from their simultaneous, unaltered timelines reminded me of complex plate tectonics sped up much like a time-lapse of a growing plant. I carved down the complexity, sculpting out the synergy of a single space, a churning sea beneath icy tectonics, if you will.
Sounds
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The grainy scrape of cup against table.
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The meaty crunch of a hole puncher pushed to its limit.
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The short but sweet ring of a curvaceous vase.
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The pop and rattle when opening a pencil box filled with dice for D&D.
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The scrunchy clicks of crushed aluminium foil (the British pronunciation is just more fun!).