Welcome to the Soundpod.
D because it's digital from beginning to end and 2000 because that once sounded like the future to someone born of the 1970's.
It is fashioned from an old school Copper toilet float, Victorian in styling with a fascinating organic nature. I fell in love with these objects two years ago whilst turning them into bird feeders for solstice gifts. Inside this little trinket of the past sits a vision of the future a sound card of the technology used in hi tech greeting cards of today, throwaway technology. I question this throwaway aspect and wish to find reuse.
Technology that once would make a man gasp and gawk now gets chucked in the rubbish.
As for the beauty of the copper toilet float, it has a beauty I don't see in my modern home.
I recognize the purpose of the copper float vs it's plastic doppelganger of today. Copper is antibacterial and withstands harsh conditions there was a point to getting a copper one in your loo, you would never need another, unlike it's plastic cousin who will likely require a replacement, perhaps several. And is that why everything is made from plastic now, so we will always need more? As the toilet float it regulated the flow of water now in the Soundpod D2000 it regulates the flow of sound.
Now these are interactive pods, they are equipped with infrared sensors and activated by you, or your dog. They work in day and night conditions and are well weatherized all powered by a single solar panel.
The point of the pods other then to explore reuse of disregarded objects was to attempt to neutralize some human noise.
These tracks are birds and bees of the areas in and around Seattle, who we digitally recorded since the spring began. We visited a fantastic Bee man named Paul and nightly went to a local woods til we caught the local barred owls on digital recorder.
We even mimic bird sounds ourselves and I dare you to tell the difference.
It's been a wonderful exploration of sound but seeking the quiet creatures only makes you realize how truly loud we are. There's always a plane flying overhead, or a motor of some sort, Sunday early mornings offered a bit of reprieve.
From now through to October the Soundpods can be found at "Acclimatized Heaven and Earth V" along with the work of 13 fantastic artists at Carkeek Park, Seattle, Wa.
The Soundpods live in a dead tree at the back of the orchard we hoped to reinvigorate this tree with life, one last shout.
Thanks once again to David Francis for curating such a fantastic opportunity, Ray Freeman for his fantastic map and catalog and the rest of COCA. I feel very honored to have gotten to work along side some great artists I will be adding their website links soon.
see some more process at Thendara's installation and intervention
Did you know the toilet float along with the rest of the ballcock was invented in 1790 by José Antonio de Alzate y Ramírez who was a priest, scientist, cartographer, and journalist. Back in the days of less specificness.
