Norman W. Long at Lincoln Park Conservatory
Reviewed by Claire Haasl
Notice: Public Art is not Always Sculpture
Many people forget that public art is more than just murals and sculpture, and in this day and age we have many technology-based public art installations to enjoy. Take, for example, Florasonic, a sound installation presented by the Experimental Sound Studio in collaboration with the Chicago Park District that opened today (Sept. 20) and will be ongoing at the Lincoln Park Conservatory until October 25.
As part of the public exhibit, Norman W. Long, a local sound artist, designer and composer, inserted the sound composition Electro-Acoustic Dubcology III into the Fern Room at the Conservatory to celebrate the many sounds of Lincoln Park’s natural landscape. Electro-Acoustic Dubcology is as described by the artist a combination of “acoustic ecology—the study of the sounds of environments—and 1970’s Jamaican dub music—in which recorded songs were ‘recycled’ and remixed into new versions,” which may sound a bit frightening to any technophobes out there, but is actually entirely the opposite. As you enter the Fern Room you are met with the fresh smells of the clean and humid air. You are submerged in the variety of tones of green plant life and just as you feel yourself relax in this calm and peaceful atmosphere, you hear the sounds of Long’s installation as they advance and recede upon your ears.
The experience can be described as wave-like, and I was reminded of those sleep machines that some people use to lull themselves into a deep slumber. Electro-Acoustic Dubcology III is hardly a version of one of those cheesy rainforest tapes, and instead evokes an artistry of sound mixing one would definitely want to be awake for. Among the serene sounds of the rustling ferns and water trickling down from rocks inside the conservatory are bird songs, frog croaks, the whispers of wind and drip-drops of rain that migrate to your ears as though you are walking through an Amazon rainforest. However, what is truly amazing about the experience is the fact that these sounds that seem so unfamiliar were in fact recorded between North Avenue and Diversey Parkway along Clark Street to Lincoln Park.
With that said, stop gushing over “The Bean” and activate more of your senses by visiting the Lincoln Park, where public art is seen but, more importantly, heard.
Here is a 30 second clip of the audio:
electro_acoustic_dubcology_edit
(Kathryn’s editorial note: http://bit.ly/13XGlQ is another, longer (8 min) clip I found from Norman Long’s Dubcology. It’s not used in this work, but gives you a better sense of his sound art than the short clip)
