PUNCTUM Inc Artist Callouts

I would like to spruike two opportunities that are currently accepting proposals and are facilitated by Punctum Inc.

Why these two?? I hear you ask...

-because as an artist who was fortunate to be guided towards these opportunities and experience them on a first hand basis I can safely say that I would strongly reccommend them for both established and emerging artists alike. 

#1) Seedpod Sponsorship

- Details direct from PUNCTUM's site can be found by clicking on the link above so I won't rehash their own words. I will say that the work space provided through the sponsorship (Live Arts Incubator) was a highly effective way of ensuring productivity. The amount of work I was able to complete for the duration of the Seedpod was a substantial amount and directly related to the space, facilities and support provided not only by Punctum, but also by my work colleague, Jacques Soddell.

My own experiences of the Seedpod Sponsorship can be found on my blogg HERE

#2) In-Habit international arts research and cultural exchange program 

- Again, details for the above program can be found by clicking on the link.

Where this program differs from the traditional artists residency is in the fact that it adds into the equation, the value of cultural exchange. While other residencies may support this, In-habit takes an active approach in that this element is a necessity for their program to operate in the way that they have developed it to do so. 

My own experiences of the Inhabit international can be found on my blogg HERE

Letter's from Home: Travel Tips

I have made it back to Australia with gathered sounds intact. The oncoming months will be spent piecing together the works I initiated while at Noirlac - I am painfully aware of the fact that I am removed from Noirlac. If I discover I want a particular recording I can no longer walk out the door and into the environment I wish to record. I am separated from the space - and now - have to work in reflection of an experience rather than in the moment itself.

On another note - I wanted to post some general travel tips for other fellow sound artists. Small yet crucial details that I often wondered about and on speaking with others - could never find an answer to.

#1) Travel Insurance 

There was no way I was heading overseas without ensuring my recording gear was well and truly covered. Having spent years working below average jobs to put together my recording arsenal the thought of losing it in a single moment is enough to send me into foetal position. Standard travel insurance will not cover items above say $500 - $700 with the exception of a few specific items such as laptop, camera and phone. I managed to find a company who offered travel insurance for the entertainment industry - specialising in high-end production equipment. Action Insurance Brokers was their name. They weren't cheap by any means but they covered everything and anything I asked for - even making last minute changes over night with no problems at all. I found the most cost effective option was to take standard insurance (such as TID) to cover all my general gear and microphones under $700 (Laptop, camera, phone, leads, mic accessories etc), then all my high end equipment I insured with AIB.

#2) Packing: the eternal search for the perfect bag

Despite my insurance there are certain items I did not want leaving my side. Select microphones and my recording device were heading into the general luggage over my dead body - yet as you know - hand luggage is extremely limited and microphones need to be packed with care. 

Enter - the Crumpler Karachi Outpost. This badboy comes with detachable padded panels that you can pull out and change at will, as well as a laptop bag and side pockets. The image to the right is how the bag is on purchase, shots below are of how I packed my gear.

            

What you can't see is that under this top layer there was actually another layer of gear again, separated by the padded panels. Space was not a problem.... Weight however, was a concern. Return flight entailed frantically pulling items out of my hand luggage and shoving them into my general bag to appease an over zealous flight centre employee. Another plus is the fact that this bag only has one main zip for entry. This is positioned at the back of the bag, making it impossible for someone to access it when it's on your back. Team this with the fact that it's weather resistant, comfortable even at over 10kg and folds opens frontside down providing you with a portable work station and I was sold. Again, it was not cheap but seeing as my last bag managed to 'live' for 7 years - I think it's well worth it.

#3) Seeing the Countryside of France

:: Bike with boompole ::

- Can't say this would be viable for the wetter months of Europe but during the sunny season - highly reccommend it - particularly if you plan on heading to areas where a car cannot go (forests, private land). Bikes are a lot easier to hide under scrub and life over fences. They also allow you to listen to your environment as you travel whilst not polluting it with your own car engine. Nature is not frightened away and the locals are more lightly to greet you as you go sailing by. Team the above with my lantern, backpack carrying recording equipment and windjammer and I was prepared for anything, anywhere, anytime.

ENSA - Bourges School of Art

:: Work space in Bourges ::

I have been lucky enough to be offered a work space in the town of Bourges (closest 'Large' city near le abbaye Noirlac). The unexpected offer came after meeting with Stèphane Dorè, Director of ENSA: Ecole Nationale Superieure d'Art de Bourges, and discussing the studies and mediums that the school offers it's students - in particular - it's sound department. I was excited by their interest in sound. The school has a detailed history dating back to the first resident artisans in Bourges, (the buildings alone are from the 17th Century) and is continuing it's strength of education within the arts into the present and future with a focus on practices such as sound, radio and new media arts. I noted that the sound department alone is growing annually with the number of increasing student work studios providing an obvious indicator. 

One room that made me smile was the, 'Listening Room', A modest space with a few worn chairs scattered around on carpeted floor. Speakers were in stereo and the room seemed a little more acoustically isolated. Stèphane explained to me that this room was where once a week, a lecturer would play sounds, students would listen and then the sounds would be discussed. These sounds could be anything - from what we would call music - to musique concrete - to soundscape - to field recordings - to muzak. No student is required to attend, it is purely there for their own enjoyment. It reminded me of my own earlier study days where my tutors exercised the same teaching methods (but we had to attend). I remember that some of those discussion sessions became incredibly intimate. I would say a number of us bared our soul just a little in those sterile classrooms under the protective blanket of sounds. I am still in awe of how sound can affect us without us even consciously recognising. I miss talking about it. 

It is a welcome change to work from Bourges, away from le abbaye Noirlac. I was nervous about leaving the site so close to my day of departure - think I experienced a mild separation anxiety. I quickly realised that distance is helping me to detach from the space and commence the post recording work with fewer distractive thoughts nevertheless, I am looking forward to getting back tomorrow and fine tuning my rough drafts.

If only I had a few more days in Bourges.... 

and a few more in Noirlac.... 

then a few more to say goodbye....

Bringing it together....

:: 1st Surround recording in le abbaye Noirlac ::

This weekend is the only opportunity I have within the remaining time, to gather surround recordings at le abbaye Noirlac. Last night was my first attempt and tonight will be my last. I actually enjoy the fact that time is so limited as it means my work methods, ideas and process's have no room for 'whatif's' and 'maybe's'. I am working with what I feel are my absolutes and am not questioning my instincts. 

The planning and development of the concept behind this work has been the hardest process to rush (how can you rush thought, reflection, conscious and unconscious realisation?) The trick for myself has been to not think too much rather just do and then reflect on the creation or sound gathering afterwards (making the unconscious conscious).

Using these methods the final work I hope to present to Paul Fournier, Geneviève Hollemaert and Fabienne Taranne will consist of two installations that portray the world as viewed from within Noirlac. Both pieces will be site specific with the sounds mixed specifically for the selected spaces and utilizing systems that have been configured accordingly.  The first space would be the Refectory (where I have been working) and the second, would be the Cloister - a garden at the centre of the abbey.

Thoughts and discoveries that have led me to these developments include the realisation that both the abbey and the township of Bruere Allichamps exist and have existed in the past in their own pleasant individual worlds. The two are obviously connected (the abbey is actually within Bruere Allichamps boundaries) and yet they remain as two very separate entities living peacefully side by side in comfortable silence.

When I then look at the life that the monks of the abbey use to live, it too was one contained within a bubble. In keeping with their Cistercian beliefs, the monks were not allowed to leave the abbey's boundaries and despite their surroundings of dense wilderness - well worth an adventure - they remained within the confines each and everyday and night. And so - on this thought, I decided that the work that entailed bringing the 'Outside' within the walls of Noirlac, should also include the opposite - bringing the sounds of Noirlac to the 'Outside' (hence, two installations).

The first installation would be the 'Outside In' (sounds of the outside such as bird calls, wind, markets etc) to be installed within the abbey, in the refectory. The second would be  the 'In Within' (sounds from within the abbey Noirlac) to be installed still within the abbey, but, at it's Cloister (centre garden). I like the idea that inverting these sounds is creating a breathing space for each world, within it's opposite other - allowing their presence to be felt where it has been forbidden in the past.

To be cont'd

The Sounds of le abbaye Noirlac are available for you

- nearly forgot to mention

All my recordings that I have completed are available for you to download, listen to and comment on. 

You can access them HERE on the Freesound website.

Any comments would be most appreciated and please feel free to use the sounds for your own work providing you credit me where appropriate.

Enjoy,

:: Recording Crickets along the Cher River between le abbaye Noirlac and Bruere Allichamps ::

Discovering Bruere Allichamps and workingworkingworking (9 days left)

:: One of the characterful houses of Bruere Allichamps ::

I've fallen in love with the houses of Bruere Allichamps. The above, is one of my favourites to date but there are so many more...... Majority (perhaps even all?) of the buildings within the town are of the same age. Some have been restored and/or maintained in their authenticity whereas others (like the one above) are yet to be tended to. The day I stumbled across this home the washing had just been done and an old radio was playing music not unlike Edith Piaf. From the street I could faintly hear a voice joining in for the chorus - was a little overcome with how perfect the world was then and there.

Fences and towering walls down alleyways bend and curve in towards you then out again seemingly defying physics and architecture by remaining standing and strong. Lamp posts are exactly that, and on route to the local bakery in the morning (two blocks) you will pass a number grandpa like figures in their day to day cap and well-worn shirt with a baguette or bannette under their arm. 

Sunday past was a great day. The town shutdown it's side roads and opened up as one big flea market (with a few food and carny stalls scattered around). I managed to gather a few sound recordings and was interested at peoples response. Some were understandably wary of me and would ask what I was doing. It was actually a perfect way to start conversations with others without feeling like you are imposing on their day. I had no negative response - most were happy to hear of my interest in the town and what I hope to use the sounds for. 

Night times are spent within the walls of le abbaye Noirlac. Light's are shut down at night so I bring in my own lantern and wander around in the dark a lot. The atmosphere is quite charged to say the least with bats keeping me company and following me as I move room to room. At this stage I have just begun introducing the field recordings to the refectory and listening. I plan to start tailoring the speaker configuration tonight to create a site specific system as well as begin working compositionally.

There is so little time.....

  :: Night time work in le abbaye Noirlac :: 

Finding sounds and space

  :: Temporary sound studio at Noirlac ::

I have never had a studio quite like this to work in.... The space which has been assigned to me is the refectory - the sound in this space is quite unique in that the arched ceiling in twice the height of usual cistercian architecture. In the past, it was used for communal meals (in silence) and now, for a brief period I am able to work within it's bubble (not so silent). The space is incredibly live. One word echoes, bounces, reverberates and delays - to the point that I am reconsidering how I will work with such acoustics. At this stage I have six speakers setup in a standard circular configuration. The pillars are an obvious distraction but not a large problem sonically. Because of the nature of the space I am more inspired to place speakers unconventionally. Sounds move with a mind of their own within the refectory and I would like to explore this moreso than the perfect 360˚ representation.

The struggles I have been having finding outdoor sonic environments less prone to traffic and machine noise have not abated (please see image + details below), leading me to the proposition of recording moreso within the abbey and yet - I was working with the intent of bringing the outside within it's walls, allowing those sounds to become part of it's immersive environment. In contrast, if I now record the sounds of the abbey and re-release them into their original environment to react with the space yet again, I will be causing a type of feedback loop - folding the room in on itself (as well as initiating the first step of Alvin Luciers piece, 'Sitting in A Room'). This would greatly change the intent of my work........

decisions, decisions, decisions.........

 :: Recording alonside the Cher in the morning in Bruere Allichamps::

I have managed to somewhat decipher the numerous industrial sounds that surround Noirlac.

#1 is the obvious - Traffic. Noirlac is beside a freeway

#2 is the trainline. This carries remarkably far - right into the forrest.

#3 would be the local porcelain factory that emits a general humm not unlike a large airconditioner

#4 Is the hors d'oeuvre factory (i'm pretty sure that's what it is) next to the porcelain factory. This too emits it's own constant drone 

#5 Lucky last would be the planes that pass overhead - it appears we are relatively close to a flight path.

The biggest struggle is that the underlying drone the permeates the air does not stop. It carries on through the night into the morning. At times it is louder but it will never cease. The field recordings I have gathered so far have this drone but can used if they are not at a loud volume, and with some severe filtering. I was imagining gathering pristine outdoor recordings but this will not be the case. Within the walls of Noirlac however, the drone is somewhat held at bay...

I hope to start uploading sounds to Freesound soon  and am a little worried about how they will be received - never the less - the show must go on...