Vector Field, 2013
Steel, aluminum, lasers, piano wire, electronics
Dimensions: 96" x 60" dia. (each module); 46' diameter (as installed)

Vector Field is a large light and sound installation. Each of the five upright modules is equipped with several acoustic panels that produce a continuous, shimmering oscillation at harmonically related frequencies. The stands are connected by a chain of laser beams that form a perfect (nearly invisible) pentagon in the air. If viewers break the laser, the installation temporarily shuts off for a period of time.

The combined humming of the 20 acoustic resonators covers one octave of the C# minor scale. As viewers move throughout the space the various combinations of notes can be heard more clearly. Additionally, each pair of panels is modulated at low frequencies to vary the overall sound of the installation. The sculpture’s gentle but substantial audio presence is thrust into the forefront during an interrupt event: it takes several seconds for the resonance to die away, at which point there is nothing but silence in the space.

Shown at the Center for Contemporary Arts in Santa Fe, NM during Currents 2013.