AIR

Installations

Installations

SOUND INSTALLATION

HEADLANDS CENTER FOR THE ARTS

SAUSALITO, CALIFORNIA   1990-91

“AIR” was located in Headlands Center for the Arts Building 945, third floor barracks. One walked up a stairway to the third floor and at the end of a hallway encountered a door labeled “Air”. Upon entering, one encountered a large, room with four black chairs situated to different vantage points. All the windows were open. Fluttering curtains were hung in each window. Generally, one set of window curtains were blowing inside the building (as on the right of the photo) and the others blew out through the window openings on the opposite side of the room. A stereo  microphone was mounted to the north face of the building, hanging from a rod by its cable.  Air currents buffeted the diaphragms of the microphone.  The signals were channeled through two 36 channel equalizers and then to an amplifier.  The sound was amplified through two large speakers mounted front of the space. The equalizers combed the sound field down to the lowest frequencies.This signal was channeled through the speakers as a deep, sonorous rumble. The effect was subtle when the breeze was soft, sounding as if there was thunder in the distant landscape. During high wind situations, the sound became almost unbearably loud and frightening, rattling the floor and windows in the space, threatening to destroy the fabric of the building.

Air
Air