FRANÇOIS BONNET / ANNE GUTHRIE / VIRGINIA OVERTON
Sculpture Gardens
(Future Audio Graphics) Used LP $15.00
Using hydroponic and contact microphones, Guthrie makes audible certain silent sounds present at Overton’s installation at the Whitney Museum of American Art, consisting of large aluminum ponds housing a variety of plant life and aerated by two silhouetted windmills, which in turn respond to the conditions of the Whitney’s fifth floor deck. Adjacent to this outdoor component and separated by a wall of large glass windows, a gallery space holds several sculptures made from reclaimed wood, everyday objects and metal pipes, among other materials. As fall turned to winter, it was reconfigured and the ponds were emptied and inverted, creating drumhead-like objects that further amplified their sonic possibilities. Guthrie’s work offers access to the inside and outside of the installation. The subsequent compositions delicately mix electronic treatments, French horn and synthesizer, furthering her interest in non-musical sounds and the natural acoustic phenomena of architectural space. Bonnet’s commissioned essay, “Emanations,” reconsiders the early avant-garde innovation of the found object in relation to the temporality of sound, revealing the impermanent, changing nature of both. This text suggests the category of art shares much in common with the mystery, uncertainty and environmental unpredictability of this installation. Hella interdisciplinary.