Sirens

Sirens
audio, steel and speakers. Cormac Faulkner, 2010

Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford. 13th March to 9th May.
Gallery details here.

Sirens is piece of sonic wall art, that is imbued with the artifacts of a fictional space that could be the place where the work is being experienced. The work creates a sense of tension and impeding catastrophe through the use of sound and music.

This work began with an exploration of “the wall”. The wall is the one elemental structure that unites much of humankind’s architectural development. They mark boundaries and borders, they provide protection from the weather and hostile invaders, they insulate and they segregate. Walls create and define space both visually and sonically. The size of space created by walls and the distance, angle and height of that space’s occupant relative to them affect the occupants perception of the acoustic and feel of that space.

“at the most basic level walls are the framework of a dwelling, the boundaries of a space, the guardians of an individual’s privacy. But beyond that delimitating function language enters in , at however a simple level: walls make a powerful decorative statement … the wall becomes a site for discourse whether consciously or unconsciously”
Odile Nouvel-Kammerer

Our species has seen fit to adorn it’s walls; to draw on them, to paint them, to hang artworks on them, to write on them, to score them and to paper them. The phrase “sonic wallpaper” that is used to describe the blandness of certain music actually implies a lack of understanding of the history and purpose of wall decoration. Wallpaper and other wall art more often than not provide focus and narrative for a space rather than being something you don’t notice.

I decided that this first piece (there will be two further sculptures) will explore the idea of protection. The narrative is based on the a re-imagining of Odysseus’ confrontation with the sirens. The idea here is that the Odysseus character is trying to warn his shipmates of the impeding catastrophe but they have bound him to the mast and blocked their ears. Why have they blocked their ears? what has he foretold? is he speaking the truth?

Field recordings, cello, trumpet, guitar, shruti box, organ and percussion.