Certain Conditions 2022-ongoing
HD video, weather controlled video and synthesizer sequencers, pressure treated wood, bed sheets, blue t-shirts, grommets, clothesline, ventilation grille, lid of storage container.
Certain Conditions is a multi-media installation exploring the weather’s impact on routine. A computer program uses the current local weather data to control a video collage of the artist doing chores layered over images of the weather. These bits of data are used to change elements of the video and musical score. If the wind speed changes, the speed of the editing and notes are changed, temperature affects the colour balance, and other factors such as time of year and day will determine which videos are shown and what chores are performed. In addition, the original audio of each video in the collage has been recreated by musical instruments. Forks clinking become cymbals hit by drum sticks. The chugging of a lawn mower is mimicked by distorted, tremolo picked guitar strings. Multiple videos play at a time and are designed to loop until triggered at random by the program to change. The weather controls the pace and urgency with which they are done, as well as the volume and sound quality of the score being created by two synthesizers. These elements come together to generate ever evolving soundscapes that drift between dance-able beats, hum-able melodies, and a wall of noise. The rhythms act as both anchors of stability and moments of disorganization, mimicking how easy it can be to fall in and out of routines.
The artist would like to acknowledge the support of the Canada Council of the Arts in the creation of this project through their Research and Creation grant program.
Winter Version presented at Glenaladale School House in Tracadie Cross, PE.
Part of Radiant Rural Halls 2023, a program presented by this town is small artist run centre
Summer Version presented at Art in the Open 2022 in Charlottetown, PE