July 12 – August 2, 2019
Opening Reception, Art Crawl: June 12 from 7 – 11 pm
Turbulent Forms focuses on the nature of noise. Extracting data from space and sculpting it into tangible visual and sonic forms. The works in Turbulent Forms stem from data collected from our suns boiling surface, producing sunspots and solar flares that interact with and alter our own ionosphere. This data is presented in a number of forms ranging from highly quantitive image works to experimental sound work embedded into physical objects, projected image and sound.
Artist Statement:
Turbulent Forms is an ongoing artistic research and development project by Dan Tapper. The works transform information from space into sound and image, ranging from quantifiable mappings to abstract data pieces. Turbulent Forms seeks to reposition the representation of data and raise awareness of the creative narratives shaping the information we interact with.
Works:
Helios (film 25 mins) – focuses on extracting data from our nearest star the sun, moving this information from tangible visual and sonic representations collected from satellites into more experimental forms. Custom software maps points of brightness and luminosity expanding these into extruded 3d worlds while sunspots pulled from the boiling surface flicker in zoetropic motion. Heat maps and text data are pulled from (proprietary/professional?) analysis software SAOImage DS9 forming a score beginning with static drones generated from the suns vibrations sped up 1000s of times to become audible to human ears and solar flares electromagnetically interacting with the earth’s ionosphere. As the work progresses the relationships between source, sound and image become more abstract with the data becoming a raw material that is stretched and sculpted visually and sonically.
Star Form (turntables) – “Many scientists think the sun and the rest of the solar system formed from a giant, rotating cloud of gas and dust known as the solar nebula. As the nebula collapsed because of its gravity, it spun faster and flattened into a disk. Most of the material was pulled toward the center to form the sun.” Charles Q Choi, Skywatching, 2017
Star Form replicates this process of rotation and accumulation through custom records. The outer sections of the records are laser cut with playable sonic motifs in the form of locked grooves extracted from solar data. As the needle is placed outside of these set trajectories it moves freely over the surface of the record making the accumulation of dust and imperfections in the surface audible. Over time the needle will find an equilibrium and begin to form its own groove.
Seven Songs for Seven Planets and a Black Hole at the Heart of the Universe (sound work 12 mins)
About the Artist:
Dan Tapper explores the sonic and visual properties of the unheard and invisible. From revealing electromagnetic sounds produced by the earth’s ionosphere, to exploring hidden micro worlds and creating imaginary nebulas made from code. His explorations use scientific methods alongside thought experiments resulting in rich sonic and visual worlds.
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