the opposite of wilderness' - documentation

8/12/2019 'The Opposite of Wilderness' - Documentation

1/14

2 + 2 = green

proposal for NOISE and whispers The Opposite of Wilderness by Clay GoldAs I have a deep interest in language, speech and

communication, I interpret Noise as the sum of all information, the sum of allhumanity's interpretation, its language output big, confident, unconditional,

published and pro!ected" Ne#s, $eadlines, %ublicity and %ropaganda, is Noise"

Whispers are private, intimate, devastating suggestions andrumours unconfirmed, unconfident, confidential and conditional communication" The

inner monologue is a Whisper, a #ord beyondour ear"

&efore World War ll and for a short #hile after, #e lived in a #orld of

Whispers" The 'Walls $ave ars' Campaign e(emplifies the need for secrecy #hich #as

felt in &ritain" %eople got on #ith their !obs and only gossiped #hen they felt sure

that no)one #as listening" *ore recently, society has evolved into a community

dominated by Noise" We are no# encouraged to tell stories, initially +around the

photocopier and ultimately on a social platform or blog, to reveal our deepest

thoughts publicly and spea- out" Advertising sells a fa-e bac-)story for products,encouraging us to become emotionally involved" Companies are desperate for their brand

to be a part of our lives, to live #ith us and transmit to the ne(t generation" ven

governments are not safe as #e progress to the logical conclusion of this behaviour

N$. 'gagging orders' have been issued to prevent hospital horror stories emerging

official secrets are lea-ed" %eople, having been dra#n into sharing their positive

stories, can no longer be relied upon to -eep /uiet about their negative e(periences or

their nagging conscience"

In an effort to escape the noise of ne#spapers, advertisements and all

presumptuous audio broadcasting, many people turn to their headphonesfor privacy, forescape" To blot out the noise #hich demands that #e understand it, #hich demands that#e play a role and relate to it, some see- privacy in personalentertainment, #hichdemands nothing, no participation" They push a#ay Noise, consumed by a useless media, a

peddler of fantasies #hich leeches on basic emotion, #hispering s#eet nothings" They

are free on a cloud of self)satisfaction, #ithout responsibility detached from Noise

on a #ave of Whispers"

&ut then comes alienation" Then comes the Wilderness" And there lies doubt"

There lies the space in #hich to realise that 0eality has been substituted for 1iction"

If the space allo#s for it 'The Opposite of Wilderness' should comprise 2 ( traditional'Tannoy' % spea-ers 3see photo4, such as those used in rail#ay stations, diffusing ami( of simultaneous voice announcements and broadcast media 5 ( full fre/uencyrange3hi)fi4 spea-er delivering a loop of channel)hopping T6 station stutter 5 ( sub)bassspea-er of indistinct lo# fre/uency emissions, subliminal music and language, as though

originating else#here 5 ( enclosed)ear headphones, #hich the visitor to theinstallation may don to achieve isolation from the Noise" They #ill then hear instead a

/uiet ambience and a gentle voice repeating, every fe# seconds, the phrase7

+I should be doing something",

In a busy, or noisy environment, 'The Opposite of Wilderness'might solely consistof the headphone part of the piece"


2/14

2 + 2 = green


3/14

2 + 2 = green

Noise & Whispers

A R T I S T S H E E T

NOTES to this table

1) All measurements are H x W x D and are in cms

2) Please supply a Hi Res (300 dpi) image o t!e "or#$ or an image associated "it! it

rtist Title Medium Yea

r

Editio

n

H W D Artist

Minimu

m Prie

!

Insuran

e "alue

!

Publish

ed

Sellin#

prie !

ay &old '!e pposite

o Wilderness

ound 201

3

1 o 1 n*a n*a

rtist $io#raph% '() *ords+

ay Gold, from Canterbury, Kent, is a British sound recording artist with an interest in social

ybernetics. His multi-channel sound pieces use location recording, synthesis, Foley and worldizing as

art of an exploration into information, actiely suppressed and promoted opinion! or censorshipand

ropaganda.

Website

ww.claygold.co.uk

atement ()) *ords+

a+ing a deep interest in language$ speec! and communication$ , interpret -oise as t!e sum o all inormation$ t!e sum

all !umanity.s interpretation$ its language output/ ig$ conident$ unconditional$ pulis!ed and proected -e"s$

eadlines$ Pulicity and Propaganda$ is -oise

!ispers are pri+ate$ intimate$ de+astating/ suggestions and rumours/ unconirmed$ unconident$ conidential and

nditional communication '!e inner monologue is a W!isper$ a "ord eyond our ear

an eort to escape t!e noise o ne"spapers$ ad+ertisements and all presumptuous audio roadcasting$ many peoplern to t!eir !eadp!ones or pri+acy$ or escape 'o lot out t!e noise "!ic! demands t!at "e understand it$ "!ic!

mands t!at "e play a role and relate to it$ some see# pri+acy in personal entertainment$ "!ic! demands not!ing$ no

rticipation '!ey pus! a"ay -oise$ consumed y a useless media$ a peddler o antasies "!ic! leec!es on asic

motion$ "!ispering s"eet not!ings '!ey

e ree on a cloud o selsatisaction$ "it!out responsiility/ detac!ed rom -oise on a "a+e o W!ispers
http://www.claygold.co.uk/http://www.claygold.co.uk/


4/14

2 + 2 = green

4loc# o "ood rom 5ay


5/14

2 + 2 = green

6anne7uin !and rom 5ay$ spraypainted gold and glued !ard into t!e loc#


6/14

2 + 2 = green

Ao+e8 Wooden ox adapted to conceal rac#mounted minidisc player and ampliier

4elo"8 %ompleted pair o spraypainted !ands and !eadp!ones

Presenting t!e !eadp!ones as a sacred oect$ "it! religious signiicance

Wilderness is escapism$ alienation/ it is 9esus. "ilderness$ a place or isolation and a place to

complete spiritual training or return t!e mind to ocus ac# in on itsel

'!e opposite o "ilderness is a place o no learning$ nonenlig!tenment


7/14

2 + 2 = green

The Opposite of Wilderness is a piece I created for the Noise and Whispers exhibition at GV

Arts Gallery in North London last November/December Ori!inally intended as a piece of

m"lti#channel m"ltiple spea$er media noise %ith an added option of a headphones piece&

intended to offer a means of escape& I %as event"ally as$ed to contrib"te '"st the headphones

part of the pro'ect I ori!inally intended for there to be ( pairs of headphones& all diff"sin! the

same piece& b"t I )"ic$ly realised that& as the s"b'ect matter I %as dealin! %ith %as alienation

and escapism * this %as not somethin! that co"ld be a shared experience * so it became a

piece for a sin!le pair of headphones I+ll '"st describe the piece& as it is very simple and then

tal$ a bit abo"t the infl"ences and ideas behind it ,-ict"re. A pair of !old painted

headphones are offered by a !old manne)"in hand& mo"nted on a bloc$ of %ood and fixed to

the %all of the !allery& %ith a sin!le spotli!ht on them The so"nd bein! played into the

headphones is a 0 min"te recordin! of me& sittin! in my shed& repeatin! the %ords 1I sho"ld

be doin! somethin!2& over and over& every fe% seconds This recordin! is played t%ice& on a

loop and the second time aro"nd there is a sli!htly different bac$!ro"nd environment 3o the

%hole piece is (0 min"tes lon!& and this is %hat is playin! on a loop in the headphones I

tried not to chan!e the %ay I repeated the %ords in any %ay& b"t I did not %ant it to so"nd

robotic or looped& so I '"st so"nd bored * the recordin! is "p close& a sin!le condenser

microphone& )"ite heavily compressed& so my breathin! is almost as lo"d as my spea$in! *

there is also some )"ite heavy si!hin! to brea$ it "p I '"st say 1I sho"ld be doin! somethin!2

%henever I feel li$e it and my emotion doesn+t chan!e In the bac$!ro"nd& the first time

aro"nd& %hich is '"st %hatever else %as pic$ed "p d"rin! this mono microphone recordin!&

can be heard birds& some $noc$in! of %ood and !eneral %or$ !oin! on next door and somech"rch bells rin!in! The second time aro"nd there are more ch"rch bells added& m"ch more

melodic& from a different ch"rch in a different co"ntry * b"t a!ain this is very m"ch in the

bac$!ro"nd and barely a"dible

4omments and vie%s at the previe% ran!ed from 1It+s '"st a !"y sayin! the same thin! over

and over2 and 1I thin$ it+s a bit sarcastic2 and 15o"+re !ettin! )"ite an!ry as it !oes on aren+t

yo"62 to ma$in! people act"ally thin$ that they sho"ldn+t be here& they sho"ld be doin!somethin!7


8/14

2 + 2 = green

One infl"ence I m"st mention is 8ohn 4a!e The recordin! of 9I sho"ld be doin! somethin!9

is essentially a recordin! of my st"dio environment& my shed& %ith the addition of my

apparent procrastination& altho"!h I amact"ally doin! somethin! This is (:: in the sense

4a!e meant %hen he said that he listens to that piece every day ;"t in this case it is a

bac$!ro"nd to the a"ditory ima!ination& as is so m"ch environmental so"nd This is also

s"!!estive of an idea that headphone listenin! does the thin$in! for yo"& that it is an escape

from not only environmental noise& b"t also mental noise 4a!e ta$es a bac$seat approach to

composition %hich I believe comes from his payin! close attention to nat"re& that %hich is

effective %itho"t man+s interference


9/14

2 + 2 = green

PRPA&A-DA


10/14

2 + 2 = green

.-oise and "!ispers. Pre+ie"8 '!ursday -o+emer : 2013


11/14

2 + 2 = green


12/14

2 + 2 = green

6artin A mit! ; %urator o .-oise and "!ispers.


13/14

2 + 2 = green

, really enoyed your piece at t!e -oise and W!ispers e+ent , tried to comment aout somet!ing

negati+e ut its not!ing o sustance really , "ould !a+e put your cards closer to t!e piece rat!er

t!an in t!e corner '!at is t!e only t!ing t!at comes to mind mall ut sometimes , can eannoying aout t!ose #ind o details 9ust a personal t!ing 4elo" is a etter explanation o !o" ,

elt "!en , irst sa" your piece8

6y irst impression came rom t!e +isual aest!etic o t!e gold !and mounted on a stained "ood

loc# !olding a pair o gold !eadp!ones , ound t!is to carry 7uite a it o dept!$ almost to signal

t!at it is t!e pinnacle$ t!e #ey to expose t!e ans"ers$ a trop!y o culmination

'!e sound "as close and personal$ ocused on a simple statement repeated o+er and o+er across t!e

ac#drop o an open room ?, s!ould e doing somet!ing? '!e succession o t!is group o "ords

carrying eac! a dierent uni7ueness in prosody and meaning Due to t!is repetition$ , egan to

relate to t!e pressure o al"ays needing to do ?somet!ing? 'o compete "it! t!is "orld and ta#epart in all its madness '!e "ords gat!ered momentum$ adding signiication to t!e meaning Ater

understanding t!e intentions o t!e artist$ t!e message o t!e piece ecame more clear We li+e in a

"orld o noise$ and per!aps$ t!is piece !olds t!e #ey to it@

6ar# &eary

Hi %lay

>orry it too# me a long time to send you my comments on your "or# , "ent to t!e gallery to listen

to it again to remind me$ ut also o "!at , t!oug!t to e a c!ange o listening conditions , really

enoyed your "or# , ound mysel listening to it asolutely t!in#ing t!at , !ad to do somet!ing$ utt!oug!t , really "asn.t doing muc! ut listening 6ig!t.+e een lost in t!oug!t or a moment "!en ,

"as o+er at t!e gallery$ i elt t!at t!e sentence "as +ery strong and t!at it "as speciic to me 4ut

t!en "e do all !a+e our o"n r!yt!ms "!erein "e are eel t!e urge to e doing somet!ing , also !ad

a t!oug!t aout !o" you deli+ered t!e p!rase$ sometimes your reat!ing "ould e 7uite loud and

say ?, s!ould e doing somet!ing? li#e it "as a sig! Bea! , really li#ed t!at !a!a

Any"ays$ , !ope t!is !elps &ood "or#$ please let me #no" "!en you !a+e ot!er ex!iits ,.m sure

it "ill e good@

est regards

mario c


14/14

2 + 2 = green

'Noise and Whispers' Review 08/12/2013

the opposite of wilderness' - documentation

Documents