My current practice-based research explores nonlinear audiovisual installations in a process I have come to term as Ecological Performativity. Developed in Cycling 74 MAXprogram, these works explore the relationships of environment, material, and process, and are derived from an intensive data-gathering procedure and immersion within the respective environments.
Currents - Currents is one of several interactive audiovisual installations in development that explores the environment of east coast Newfoundland. Emerging from a meshwork of materials that includes ocean data-sets, live streamed wind data, a heart rate monitor and audiovisual material captured in this environment, Currents combines these expressive actants to explore nonlinear creative processes within an immersive experience. Using a PulseSensor, all elements of the installation are triggered by a gallery visitor’s heart rate that, in turn, generates a backdrop of animated water droplets. Combined with the sonification of live wind data, ocean data-sets and pre-recorded musical improvisations, a multi-temporal experience is realized.
Piano at the End of a Poisioned Stream- This nonlinear installation is created using audiovisual material collected from Bombay Beach located on the Salton Sea, USA, which has been described as the most depressing place in California. Formed from a geographical rupture, then populated by humans and their need to extract materials, leisure, and property, the highly salinized and toxic waterway evokes a ghostly future narrative. Signs of the human and nonhuman now litter Bombay Beach. I became transfixed with the numerous objects scattered throughout this landscape: rusty metal objects sticking out of the ground, wooden refuse from dilapidated buildings, sections of concrete slab, plastic bags entangled and flapping in dead bushes, and a lone broken piano. Using contact microphones, I recorded the sonic textures and tones by tapping, plucking and playing these objects.
Using the creative techniques of computer vision, sonification, convolution, and improvisation this work combines the audiovisual material in a temporally dynamic aesthetic. The sonic triggering device is a series of bird-in-flight videos, which randomly triggers a large bank of audio files based on the movement of the birds.
Cathedral - Developed from field recordings captured in the Sequoiq National Forest, Cathedral uses computer vision, data mining, convolution and vocal improvisation to create this non-linear audiovisual installation. The visual element is comprised of videos that contain shafts of sunlight through the trees, captured by New Zealand video artist Andrew Denton. These bursts of light become a triggering device on a bank of audio material, which includes raw field recordings, auto-convolved text-based tourists (passer-bys), and improvised vocal motifs convolved with an impulse reverb from the forest. Cathedral was installed at the Toronto International Electroacoustic Symposium in Canada, August 9-12, 2017.
Undercurrent - with Canadian filmmaker Shannon Harris. This installation will be installed at the Balance-Unbalance 2015 Conference in Tempe Arizona from March 22-29, 2015.
Flight Variant - with Canadian/New Zealand film and media artist Andrew Denton. This work was installed at the Toronto Electroacoustic Symposium in Canada, August 14-17, 2014.
Aspects of Trees - with Andrew Denton. This work was presented as a live improvisation at the Toronto Electroacoustic Symposium in Canada, August 14, 2013 with cellist Anne Bourne. It was also presented as an installation at the Balance-Unbalance International Conference May 31-June 2, 2013 in Noosa, Queensland, Australia.
Beads - with media artist Rene Burton of New Zealand. This work was installed at the Balance-Unbalance International Conference May 31-June 2, 2013 in Noosa, Queensland, Australia.
Previous to this is a large assortment of acoustic and electroacoustic works.
Works can be found at The Canadian Music Center.