sound art
sound art : pop music :: avant-garde film : Hollywood movies
Today I experienced two sound art pieces: Max Neuhaus’s Times Square and Dream House.
Here is one way to experience Times Square:
- go to the pedestrian island on Broadway between 45th and 46th Streets in Manhattan
- lie down on the metal grate that covers the subway
- keep you eyes open and stay conscious of your surroundings
- listen for awhile
- stand up and walk a block away from the pedestrian island
- walk back to the island, lie down, and listen again
- stay there until you think you can’t stay any longer
- then stay longer
I enjoyed Times Square because I was in two places at once while I listened to the piece. 1) I was in Times Square in New York City amidst all the hustle and bustle. 2) I was immersed in Neuhaus’s sound art.
On the other hand, I didn’t enjoy Dream House at all. I found the noise horridly disturbing, and I desperately wanted to be deaf while I listed to the sound. Dream House is a single room lit with pink lights. There are cushions around the perimeter. I sat on one of these cushions. First I sat perfectly still and tried to meditate, but I found that if I moved my head even slightly the sound changed. This distracted me so I couldn’t meditate. Then I lay down with one ear pressed against the cushion and my arm pressed against my other ear in hopes that I could drown out some of the sound. The sound wasn’t drowned out. Next I tried and succeeded to fall asleep, but while I was asleep all I dreamt about was the horrid sound, so I decided to wake back up. I thought about leaving the room, walking down the stairs, and re-entering Manhattan. I knew that I could leave at any time. But since I had the freedom to leave at will, I decided to stay a bit longer.