I attempted to create a piece of music that would embody a specific feeling: Being in movement and engaged on a dancefloor



Thesis Notes:

The installation will take place in a single room. In the center of the room hangs a hammock
suspended in the air. The hammock, made out of steel chain link, is surrounded by ~200
speakers of varying size, shape, and tonal quality (some carry heavier bass tones, some
more mid­range, etc). On the ceiling is a video projection synced up to the sounds in the
speakers. To fully experience the work there is only one way: laying in the hammock. Each
speaker is facing the hammock, and many play sounds at a dB that can only properly be
heard if at a certain proximity (the exact proximity of the hammock to the speaker), while the
visuals projected onto the ceiling above the hammock appear skewed and difficult to make
out unless laying in the hammock and looking directly above.

The hammock is painful to lay in; not enough to be injured, but enough that the physical
sensation of steel pressing into flesh is noticeable at all times. The viewer is reclining but
suffering. The artwork becomes somewhat of an endurance piece, performed by the viewer.
The audio, which is extremely lengthy and ever­changing (possibly continually adjusted and
extended by the artist), is inherently pleasing to the ear, and hits certain pleasure centers in
the brain consistently, releasing dopamine and bringing joy to the listener. The visuals are
captivating and calming. Inspired by the works of Ryder Ripps, Nicolas Jaar, Tao Lin, Marina
Abramovic, Hot Sugar, Bunny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Grimes, Soul Keita, Vito Acconci, Joy
Williams, William Eakin, Guy Maddin, My Chemical Romance, Cliff Eyland, and anyone I
have ever met who has made anything, the installation not only invites the audience to
become the performer, but also to suffer in order to fully experience the work.
Conceptually, the piece touches on a broad range of topics, specifically the way in which we
as a society currently experience media, the way our IRL existence often takes a back seat
to our entertainment and distraction. It brings forwards ideas of "suffering for one's art", but
also suffering to experience art, or performance. Waiting in line for hours to see your favorite
band, straining your neck in a movie theatre to watch a sold­out film, following someone on
social media incessantly to 'stay updated'. The installation also calls attention to the flaws
within artistic documentation, and the fact that certain aspects of an artwork can be
captured, but it's essence, it's true 'message' can only be experienced through just that;
experience.

I would like to begin my research by acquainting myself with sound artists, specifically
performance artists that have worked primarily with sound. I am interested in researching the
effects sound and image have on the brain, and how to maximize sensory input without
overwhelming the viewer. Extensive research will also need to be done on the mechanics of
sound, musical composition, and techniques for the installations' layout. The fabrication of
the chain link hammock will also need to be heavily researched. I will also be researching
what I as well as many others view as the "great" performers throughout musical history, and
the trials and tribulations they experienced throughout their careers. This research as a
whole is intended to be ongoing, and will, I feel, continue post completion of this work and
into the multi­faceted aspects of my artistic career that I intend to expand on over time. I
hope, however, that this work will become a catalyst for future endeavors, and that it will be
challenging enough that I feel the need to improve all aspects of myself as a person and
artist in order to execute it honestly.

The installation will partially be viewable by entering the gallery space and observing the
speakers and projection from the outside, or from a live stream that captures an aerial view
of the hammock, but in order to experience everything at once, one must enter the work,
subject themselves to pain, documentation, suffering, beauty, joy, and as a result, become
the performer and the artist.