sequential intersection_1-8
‘sequential intersection_1-8’ is a continuation of the artist Ross Alexander Payne‘s practice in working with re-purposed industrial, domestic and natural materials in the process of creating ‘abstracted-soundscapes’. His work aims to explore the inherent properties of these materials and the potential for those properties to evoke a sense of place and situation in both a mnemonic and physical capacity.
The work uses a series of steel pipes, discovered laying disused in a metal workshop in Struer, Denmark, to create a ‘sequential instrument’ throughout the Four Boxes Gallery. Playing from each pipe is a looping series of notes played on the shakuhachi flute, by flutist Kiku Day. The playback of the notes via the pipe structures may be considered as an ‘abstract sequential composition’, experienced as one passes through the Four Boxes Gallery building from the garden to the upper room.
The sonic material itself, composed in collaboration between Ross Alexander and Kiku Day specifically for the installation and recorded within the Four Boxes space, is based on the traditional Zen-buddist composition ‘Ajikan’ which is intended to represent the Zen concept of “seeing with the heart” as opposed to seeing with one‘s eyes. The “a” of the title Ajikan may denote something harmonious or peaceful: its conjunction with “ji” representing the primary or original sound: and the word “kan” meaning “to see”. Thus the piece can be considered to represent “seeing the original sound”, a special sort of vision associated with enlightenment. Additionally, the “A” in Ajikan is considered within certain forms of Buddhism to be the first sound uttered by humans once they open their mouths and may be used to represent a ‘first step’ or the essence of being, the ground from which all phenomena emerge. In this sense, it may be interpreted as a symbol of “nothingness” or emptiness, not in the sense of absence, but rather as the ultimate source of all existence. Whilst interpretations of the piece may widely differ, it is sometimes considered representative of the journey of human beings from birth to death based on the sacred scriptures of Buddhism.
The material nature and form of the found and re-purposed industrial piping define the conceptual and aesthetic origin of the work, whilst the use of the shakuhachi flute and the ensuing sequential composition reference the building’s design and architectural associations, alongside the artist’s extensive interest in shakuhachi music and Zen-buddhism. The various interactions between the installational structures and the natural environment gesture towards the mono-ha art movement and its work exploring the interactions of natural and industrial materials, itself a source of inspiration for the artist and his work.
The exhibition is part of ‘Sounds of the Future’ in collaboration with Sound Art Lab
‘Sequential Intersection_1-8’ udgør en naturlig forlængelse af kunstneren Ross Alexander Paynes tilgang til at arbejde med genanvendte industrielle, huslige og naturlige materialer i skabelsen af abstrakte lydlandskaber. Hans mål er at udforske de iboende egenskaber ved disse materialer og deres potentiale til at fremkalde en følelse af sted og situation, både på et hukommelsesmæssigt og fysisk plan.
I dette arbejde anvender Payne en række stålrør, som blev opdaget liggende ubrugte i et metalværksted i Struer, Danmark. Disse rør danner grundlaget for et ‘sekventielt instrument’, som er skabt i samarbejde med Four Boxes Gallery. Hver af disse rør afspiller en løkke af toner, udført på shakuhachi-fløjten af den dygtige fløjtenist Kiku Day. Afspilningen af tonerne gennem rørene udgør en abstrakt sekventiel komposition, som beskueren oplever, når de bevæger sig gennem Four Boxes Gallery-bygningen, fra haven til det øverste rum.
Det lydlige materiale, komponeret specifikt til installationen af Ross Alexander og Kiku Day og optaget inden for rummene i Four Boxes, er inspireret af den traditionelle zen-buddhistiske komposition ‘Ajikan’. Denne komposition symboliserer zen-konceptet om “at se med hjertet”, snarere end med øjnene. ‘A’ i ‘Ajikan’ repræsenterer harmoni og fred, ‘ji’ symboliserer den primære eller originale lyd, og ‘kan’ betyder “at se”. Stykket kan derfor fortolkes som en repræsentation af “at se den originale lyd”, en vision forbundet med oplysning. Desuden anses ‘A’ i ‘Ajikan’ i visse buddhistiske traditioner for at være den første lyd, mennesker udtaler, når de åbner munden, hvilket symboliserer et første skridt eller essensen af eksistens.
Den materielle natur og form af de genanvendte industrielle rør definerer arbejdets konceptuelle og æstetiske oprindelse, mens brugen af shakuhachi-fløjten og den efterfølgende sekventielle komposition refererer til bygningens design og arkitektoniske forbindelser. Dette er i tråd med kunstnerens dybe interesse for shakuhachi-musik og zen-buddhisme. De forskellige interaktioner mellem installationsstrukturerne og det naturlige miljø henviser til mono-ha-kunstbevægelsen og dens udforskning af samspillet mellem naturlige og industrielle materialer, som har været en kilde til inspiration for kunstneren og hans arbejde.
Udstillingen udgør en del af ‘Sounds of the Future’, i samarbejde med Sound Art Lab.
