Recycled Sound

site specific, outdoor installation by Ben Johansen and Jonathan Snow (sculptor)

Click here to go to my blog posts pertaining to this installation. I will be posting on my blog as we make progress.

The installation will have its premiere in the TWU Arts Triangle Walking Tour March 25th from 5-7pm.

Together, with Jonathan Snow, a colleague of mine at UNT, we are working on an outdoor art installation incorporating sculpture, light, sound, and interactivity.

Below is Jonathan’s first draft of the installation (click on the picture to view it larger).  Imagine from a 20 to a 40 foot distance from the center sculpture to the furthest sculpture surrounding it:

“Recycled Sound” sculpture is designed in such a way that the center sculpture allows participants to “steer” sound and light around them using a mechanism that resembles a steering wheel. Sound from solenoids and light from LEDs emanate from inside metal sculptures surrounding the center sculpture as participants interact with it. Different combinations of movements of the center sculpture produce different feedback. Communication between the center sculpture and surrounding sculptures will be done via RF transmitters/receivers, thus no wires will be seen. The forms will be constructed from steel donated to UNT from a factory (each piece has great negative space from whatever the factory was manufacturing).

We will be using both recycled and purchased materials.  All electronics (microcontrollers, solenoids, batteries, etc.) will be purchased new and all visual aspects will be purchased used from salvage yards.  Sounds will be created by using the bars from an old percussion bell set and by striking the sculptures themselves.  I will be using the Arduino open-source electronic hardware and software exclusively.  We believe in fully documenting our projects online at benjohansen.com so others can learn from what we have done. I am pushing the boundaries of inexpensive RF receivers, transmitters, and the open-source Arduino in hopes that others can create art on a smaller budget.

Please checkout the my blog to see how each individual aspect of the project is progressing. Click here to go to my blog posts pertaining to this installation.

Thank you!