Sonitus Mirible Inventi (Sounds Magically Discovered)

In Sonitus Mirable Inventi (Sounds Magically Discovered), I amplify sounds issued by objects usually considered mute.

Auditrx Villosa (Hairy Hearer) consists of a five-inch mass of bleach-blonde hair that wound itself into the form of an ear after being placed in an envelope and worn in the back pocket of my jeans for the summer. Pulvis Sonitus (Sound Dust) is made of three small, though highly individualized, lumps of dryer lint.

Opusculum Inventi (Small Works Discovered) nestled two two-inch-tall conical-shaped found objects made of resin next to each other.

In each of the pieces, the objects are connected to a one-inch speaker via cable and are housed in a 15-inch plexiglass vitrine, which features two listening ports: a circular pattern of small holes drilled into either side of the case. Held captive in this housing, the viewer has the opportunity to listen more attentively to the ignored sounds uttered by the minutiae.

Bathing us in their transmissions, seemingly silent and ubiquitous, inanimate objects attempt to communicate with us all the time. They merely require the right interceptor, transmitter, and interpreter. They speak to us, and perhaps more interestingly, they talk among themselves. When the leaf chases the paper cup down the street, that’s no accident. Did you hear what the leaf said to the cup?

These objects build their own “interpersonal” relationships. With patience and willingness, one can tune one’s ear to the frequency at which these objects emit their sounds. Listening to these objects reveals clues about true yearnings and desired relationships.