ontario & kent ave. s.

project description

"19 Waltzes for the Distanced is a large-scale community performance of a piece by the American composer John Cage that takes place at sites across the area colonially known as Vancouver, on the ancestral and unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh nations, and highlights the city’s neighbourhoods, artists, and arts community."

"Using chance operations, we've selected 57 random locations across Vancouver--including parks, residential street corners, and industrial spots. On September 19th from 1 to 4 pm, participants are invited to go to one or more of the randomly-generated addresses and Perform, Listen, and/or Make a Record." www.19waltzes.com

19 Waltzes for the Distanced is produced by the Blueridge Chamber Music Festival in partnership with Little Chamber Music, with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.

artist statement

On Saturday, September 19, 2020 I ventured across Vancouver for only the second time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown in March, to participate in a public art event, 19 Waltzes. I chose to participate by listening & recording the site location to produce 'captured moments' through sets of black & white, infrared and panoramic photos, and also by creating an infrared 360° panoramic gif with original audio samples from site.

Of the 57 locations available around the City of Vancouver, I chose the location furthest south from where I live in North Vancouver, at Ontario and Kent Ave. in south Vancouver. This area is an interesting mix of sights, sounds and smells including: a wood processing mill, power transformer, light industrial and warehousing, a train rail line, and an active bike route and a connector road. The gully next to the rail line is deep and muddy, holding a thick growth of cat tails and distant trees hold crows and other birds.

Recorded audio samples from site included in the final infrared gif include: The hum of a large transformer, a raven, the dry foliage of cat talls in the wind and nearby bike/car traffic.

In seeking techniques to convey time (music) and space (photography) into a moment, I ultimately chose to 'compress the space' by making a set of double exposures of opposing cardinal directions, 'expand the space' with a panorama photo, 'express the space' via an infrared portrait and finally 'animate the space' via an audio/gif loop, comprised of many still photos and audio site samples.

double exposures east/west

360° panorama divided into east/west

infrared site 'portrait'

ontario & kent ave. s._SE ©2020

ontario & kent ave. s., is an audio/photo based project created during Covid mandated lockdown restriction in British Columbia, Canada.

It is part of the larger Covid-19 set of projects, called, oz factor.

materials

00:43 infrared mirrored animated panoramic gif with site audio samples

(2) double exposure black & white photographs

(1) 360° panorama black & white photograph or (2) 180° photos

(1) infrared photograph

public art event

2020 ontario & kent ave. s., 19 Waltzes for the Distanced, Vancouver, BC

event documentation: https://www.19waltzes.com/4-3-ontario-kent