GIHON (an installation) from Sean Clute on Vimeo.
About
GIHON is a sound installation that combines field recordings of the Gihon River in rural Vermont. The sound is diffused through four speakers, as well as, into a bucket of river water. In essence, the electromagnetism of the recordings are transmitted through water and re-amplified from a hydrophone, creating a sonic hybrid of the natural and technological.
GIHON (an installation) investigates the relationship between nature and technology. As a media artist living in rural Vermont, I have questioned how digital media fits into the idyllic image of a state’s rustic barns, free-range cows and rolling pastures. In this work, I attempt to create a balance between the natural state of the river and the impact of human co-inhabitants. Despite the remote location of the Gihon (it flows from Eden to Johnson) one can hear the low moan of trucks downshifting, townspeople talking in the distance and the hum of the electrical grid. In other words, the environment of the river is already one intertwined with humanity. I highlight this connection in the installation by amplifying an iterative process by connecting the field recordings with the water and then mixing both sounds back into the space.
Visually, the installation includes documentation from the Gihon river recordings. For example, locations of the recordings are identified on maps, GPS coordinates are printed and digital prints of the river are part of the total experience. Together, the sound and visual documentation will create new modes of experiencing the natural artifacts of Vermont’s rural landscape.
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GIHON (an installation) (.mov file | 75.8.8 MB)