"Of Earth" is a
multimedia communication utilizing compositions of sight and
sound being performed simultaneously. In the lab: ROB DE LUCA
makes sounds by using his diaphragm to push air over his larynx.
His vocal chords open and close in a delicate or violent
fashion, producing somewhat unnerving, but occasionally pleasant
sounds. He simultaneously produces deeper noises from an
apparatus made of wood and four long wrapped wires, which he
attacks with his fingers or a plectrum. This apparatus is fitted
with magnets coiled with hair thin copper wire, creating an
electromagnetic field. This field picks up the vibrations made
by Mr. De Luca's unorthodox attacking and delivers them through
a cord to an electrical amplifier. Despite being labeled a
heretic by critics, his peculiar ritual has now (d)evolved into
an underground movement, which has been labeled "Staring At
Sound".
PAUL CASANOVA plays a similar wood contraption that has six thin
metal wires. He attacks this exclusively with a plectrum and
produces a much wider, and far more interesting array of sounds.
His contraption also transmits vibrations to an electrical
amplifier. This amplifier is connected to paper cones fitted
with magnets that somehow transform electric energy into sonic
energy. We're not quite sure how he does it either, but it
causes Professor Casanova to jump around uncontrollably. This
often leaves us wondering if something is going drastically
right, or drastically wrong.
Never one to be outdone, MICHAEL MAY uses absolutely no
electrical energy to create his aural experiment. Armed only
with the energy of sheer human force, Dr. May beats on curved
tubes of wood or plastic producing tones of different pitches.
By beating on these with thin pieces of wood, he can alter and
mix the rhythms and dynamics of the tones. He intersperses this
frenzy with similar beatings of flat metal spheres to produce
very high frequencies that upset all canines and mothers within
167 square feet.
Although most of his distinguished colleagues can't pronounce
his name correctly, RAFAEL CARRASQUILLO is very respected among
his peers. With all their combined experience in studies of art,
acoustics, and physics, they can't quite comprehend his choice
of expression. Professor Carrasquillo creates sounds from no
vibrations whatsoever! He moves his fingers, sometimes amazingly
quickly, over the white and black pieces of a plastic and metal
computer machine. Each of these pieces coincide with a
particular pitch that is created within the apparatus. It's
further outfitted with lots of fancy push/pull knobs and levers
that can instantly change all aspects of the sound's dimensions.
We attempted disassembling this machine to try and understand
it, but Prof. Carrasquillo must have sensed this, and has since
kept it locked and secure.
When all these processes coincide, "Of Earth" is truly a marvel
of art and science.
