2010

Gone with the Wind: Thoughts on the Aeolian Organ

By Jesse Stewart

In the Fall of 2010, I was honoured to have been asked by Susie Osler to contribute a piece to fieldwork, a beautiful outdoor art exhibition space near Perth, Ontario. I decided that I wanted to create a work that would draw on my dual background in the visual and sonic arts, so I created an Aeolian Organ consisting of tuned pipes ranging in length from roughly twelve to eighteen feet. These pipes are mounted vertically and are distributed across the field in such a way as to create a waveform across the horizon. Made out of 4-inch diameter black ABS pipe, the pipes elicit different tones as wind blows across vertical openings near the top of each tube. These openings are oriented in different directions such that shifts in wind direction activate different harmonics of different pipes, resulting in an ever-changing series of harmonies. The distal openings near head height on each pipe serve as listening holes for visitors to the site.

The pipes are tuned to a natural minor scale or "aeolian mode," named after Aeolus, the Greek god of wind. Although the pipes sound mainly on windy days, one can hear reflections of ambient sonic environment in each tube at all times in much the same way that children “hear the ocean” inside empty seashells. The length of each resonating pipe sculpts the ambient sound, reinforcing different portions of the harmonic spectrum. The piece thus draws attention to both the landscape and the soundscape in all kinds of weather, encouraging those who engage with the work to think about the relationships between themselves, the landscape, and the sonic environment.

On April 28, 2011—two days before I was slated to uninstall the work—severe winds swept through Southern Ontario, downing trees and injuring dozens of people. The winds—which topped speeds of 120 km per hour at times—knocked down several wind organ pipes, bending the ¾ inch galvanized steel rods supporting them in 90 degrees. I would have liked to have heard what that sounded like! I take this occurrence as a lesson in impermanence and a reminder of the extraordinary power of nature. In many ways, this is what the piece was about in the first place.

 My sincere thanks go to Susie Osler and the entire fieldwork collective for the opportunity to show this piece at their beautiful site.

Jesse Stewart April 30, 2011

www.jessestewart.ca   

fieldwork has been getting a bit of a 'nod' this month in response to our latest installation.  Amy Hogue from the EMC/Perth News and Julie Druker from The Frontenac News both came out to watch Marc Walter working on his creation,  'The Last Sowers' -  two 'figures' now gracing the end of the field...

Here are links to their articles:

  Fieldwork - Exploring the Possibilities of 'Land Art' by Amy Hogue

  New Work in Winter Fields by Julie Druker

Hope you have a chance to come out with your boots, skis or snowshoes and have a look this winter!

-Susie

Bonjour,

I stayed at fieldwork five days in a row, creating two large sculptures out of recycled materials: branches, fibres, soil, all found in the immediate surroundings of the site.

The idea is to evoke two beings that are inhabitants of this land. Part of a sort of tribe, they are the last ones to arrive, emerging from the woods and ready to sow the land for the next seasonal cycle. Upon visiting fieldwork and the already installed works in the pinegrove, I had a feeling of a site loaded with stories and fairytales; it made me want to tell my own.

Several aspects have guided my process. First, and as I often do, I want to encourage the visitors to penetrate deep into the field, thereby making an effort and demonstrating a willingness to engage on a path of discovery. I want to create the artworks at the back of the field, in a sort of bay. Second, given the scale of the space, it became very important to get the dimensions of my Sowers right: big enough to be noticed from afar and to fill the space between the field's sides, reasonably sized enough to be able to finish them in five days top. Third, I wanted them to have kinetic features to add some life to them.

Earth mounds were created to elevate the Sowers and to allow them to float over any snow. Branches from two already fallen trees (poplar and maple)  were woven to create the shapes. A few maple wips were cut to allow strength in the shoulder and arm of each sculpture. Dogwood was used to add color and density to the tops. Sisal and raffia fibres were used to extend both arms, to create moving lines in the wind and to evoke the sowing activity.

One of the main challenge was to make the best use of the brittle poplar and maple, which were really fragile. I am working with a year's duration in mind eventhough the sculptures are meant for a season. Many back and forth on beautiful local vintage orchard ladders allow to evaluate the proportions, the size, the elegance of the lines, the density of the work, the inter-relation between the two sculptures, and the actual making of the weaving of the branches.

In the end, I am satisfy with the emotion that The Last Sowers provide me and hope that their presence will invite passer-bys to stop, reflect upon the site, and discover the beautiful surroundings of fieldwork. I got soooo lucky with the weather that allowed me to work with a minimal use of gloves, no snow and bearly any rain. Susie Osler was amazing at providing support, comfort, and passionnate discussions. So were Cameron and Tim.

Wakefield artist Marc Walter spent several days here at fieldwork this past week building two wonderful sculptures in the field.  Titled 'The Last Sowers',  two ghostly figures made of branches tower at the end of the field, beyond the black pipes of Jesse Stewart's 'Aeolian Organ'.   Marc made use of  materials found on site - recently cut maple, poplar, and dogwood branches - weaving and tying them together to create the large forms that seem to be emerging from the woods surrounding them.

"The field is resting and presents a feeling of vulnerability and emptiness.  It is colder, the colours are less, the smell of the earth is in the air.  Yet The Last Sowers are preparing the grounds for the next cycle....When I create my outdoor installations, I tremendously enjoy the rythmn of things.  It is an opportunity to slow down and to reflect on the cycle of life and death, to embrace the surroundings, and to realize passing emotions.  The Last Sowers are doing the same thing....Listen"

The quiet but insistant presence of Marc's Sowers invites us to get out into the field and  explore the subtleties of the landscape - the ground, the vegetation, the colours, and the sounds that they (the Sowers) have emerged from, and become a part of.

We hope you can make it out to the field this winter to explore the space and the installations our invited artists have created within it.  If not, click on the different galleries in the menu  to the right for more documentation of the various projects.