1980
NEUHAUS - TIME PIECE SERIE
SILENT PUBLIC CLOCKS
THE CONCEPT OF USING SOUND TO FORM A COMMON MOMENT WITHIN A COMMUNITY, PERIODICALLY THROUGHOUT THE DAY, IS AN ANCIENT ONE. IT EXISTS IN PRESENT DAY SOCIETY IN THE FORM OF CHURCH BELLS AND PUBLIC CLOCKS.
THE IDEA FOR THE TIME PIECES IS ABOUT FORNING THESE COMMON MOMENTS WITH SILENCE RATHER THAN SOUND.
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THE METHOD
THE CONCEPT IS REALIZED BY GRADUALLY CHANGING THE ACOUSTIC ENVIRONMENT, AND THEN CREATING A SENSE OF SILENCE BY REMOVING THESE CHANGES.
A SOUND TEXTURE IS SLOWLY INTRODUCED OVER A PERIOD OF MINUTES SO THAT IT IS NOT NOTICED DIRECTLY, BUT SUBTLY ESTABLISHES A DIFFERENT OR IMAGINARY SENSE OF PLACE, ACOUSTICALLY.
ONCE ESTABLISHED, THIS PLACE IS REMOVED, JUXTAPOSING THE IMAGINARY WITH THE REAL AND EXPOSING THE REAL, IN A NEW WAY, AS A MOMENT OF QUIET.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE SOURCES OF SOUND REMAIN UNSEEN, AND THAT THE WORK BECOMES A COMMON OCCURRENCE
-- A SUBTLE PRESENCE, THERE AND AT THE SAME TIME NOT THERE -- NOTICED, FORGOTTEN .. AND RE-FOUND.
MAX NEUHAUS