To celebrate the closing of Sky Into Stone, exhibiting artist Katrina Bello and sound artist Jonathan Harris hosted an artist talk and immersive listening experience based on sound recordings that span nearly 250 miles on (and off) the coast of Lake Michigan. Harris’ multichannel composition uses hydrophonic and atmospheric recordings of the lake’s environmental sounds to explore the interplay between connection and separation in our experience of nature, examining how this complex dynamic parallels the tension between consciousness and embodiment. His recording rig (photo below) mirrored the dimensions of the speakers in Dutmers Theater, offering audiences a full immersive experience. The aim is to transport the exact experience of being in and moving through a given recording location (and, in some cases, superimpose it) directly into the listening
In an artist talk, Bello discussed the work on view in her solo exhibition, her inspiration in the natural world, and how her Tusen Takk residency–heavily informed by the sounds of nearby Lake Michigan–impacted her practice.
Pierport Beach, Sept 25, 2024. Photo by Jonathan Harris.
Harris’ recording sites included Wilderness State Park, Thorne Swift Nature Preserve, Fisherman's Island State Park, North Bar Lake Beach, Tusen Takk Foundation beach, Pierport Beach, Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area, Silver Lake Sand Dunes, and off-coast (near Montague). Image courtesy of Jonathan Harris.
ARTIST BIOS
Katrina Bello at Tusen Takk. Photo by Tom Peckham.
Born in Davao City in the Philippines, Katrina Bello is a visual artist whose work is informed by memory, observations, experiences and narratives of land and natural surroundings during her experience of immigrating to the United States. She has participated in solo and group exhibitions in the United States and the Philippines, and has been awarded fellowships and residencies in the United States. She attended the College of Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, and received a BFA from the Mason Gross School of The Arts at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. She received her MFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland. She currently lives and works in New Jersey in the United States and Metro Manila in the Philippines.
Instagram: @kimbells2037
Jonathan Harris, 2024. Photo by Katrina Bello.
Jonathan Harris is a New York-based artist using objects, sound, and space as tools to explore cognitive and perceptual phenomena. This work often involves the creation of environments that investigate the physical and spatial characteristics of sound, typically in the form of site-responsive installations whose sonic elements push against conventional compositional structures and function as sculptural or architectural materials themselves. Jonathan’s practice is centered on how sound and architecture’s innate relationship with the body informs an individual’s conception of space and their place in the world, with a deep interest in cultivating observational practices that provoke—outside of art spaces— reengagement and realignment with real-world habitats.
This work has been shown in museums, galleries, and public sites throughout New York City, greater NY, the Hudson Valley, and internationally. From 2021–24, he exhibited Sunpath, a large-scale public artwork commissioned by SUNY Purchase. This award-winning installation employed artist-built electronics, photovoltaic data, and sound to trace the sun’s position in the sky across an array of loudspeakers positioned under the two 1000’-long outdoor arcades that form the perimeter of the college’s main campus plaza.
Jonathan studied harmony, composition, and sound at The Juilliard School and Purchase College, and holds an MFA in Sound Art from Columbia University.
https://lostlanguag.es/
https://www.are.na/jonathan-harris/sky-into-stone-2024
Instagram: @iwoulddyne4u