Event Blog 1: Acoustical Visions

A picture of my favorite piece of Fontana's work 

The first event of the quarter I went to was the Acoustical Visions presentation by Bill Fontana. He places cameras and microphones on and around various pieces of man-made technology, like bridges and power plants, and collects the images and sounds emanating from those structures. The video above shows a piece he did in which he took sounds and video from a bridge and pieced them together. In the past, I had always thought of the traditional “artist” as someone who draws or paints, and this presentation opened me up to the idea that there may be many different categories of an “artist.” As this event occurred during Week 1, we were learning about the two cultures of art and science described by C.P. Snow. I enjoyed how Fontana was able to see the beauty in these amazing structures, as well as the sounds present in their very being. I would argue that Fontana really exists in the third culture which unites art and science, as is described by Kelly in his article, such that computer technology allows Fontana to not only appreciate other technological structures, but also to mix the videos and recordings he takes in such an expressive, profound way. Technology has really inspired Fontana’s art, and I really liked having his event as my first of the quarter so that I could get a sense of what this class would be all about. 

I loved how he put microphones underwater to record the sounds of the bridge from there – I love the ocean and find the sound of water very calming, so I could really relate to his interest in using those sounds. I did a little bit of Googling to get more background on Fontana’s inspiration and how he got interested in doing these “sound sculptures” and I was struck by how observant he must be to pick up on these background noises that people typically take for granted. He describes his work as a “sensory tease,” a phrase I find interesting because when I think of art, I think of people wanting it to be on display for the world to see. Not so for Fontana, who seems to design his work to subliminally work its way into your mind, leaving you wondering if it is art, or reality, that you are experiencing, as with his sound sculpture at SFMOMA. I am glad that I have been exposed to a kind of art that is different from what I consider to be stereotypical “art” – drawing, painting, etc. – and I suggest to anyone who does not think that they are a creative person to challenge themselves to go to events like this and find a type of art that speaks to them.

DESMA 9 students with Mr. Fontana - I am wearing stripes

References

Kelly, Kevin. "The third culture." Science 279.5353 (1998): 992-993.

Snow, C. P. “Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution.” Reading. 1959. New York: Cambridge UP, 1961. Print.

Whiting, Sam. “Artist Bill Fontana Is of Sound Mind.” San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Aug. 2017, www.sfchronicle.com/art/article/Artist-Bill-Fontana-is-of-sound-mind-11818413.php.