Second year students from BA (Hons) Sound Arts & Design at London College of Communication recently hosted a collaborative group show at Whitechapel’s Gallery 46 – featuring sound installations, audio-visual compositions, performances, kinetic sculptures and more.
The course explores the capture, creation and manipulation of sound to produce individual portfolios of original sound arts and design work, with the show providing students the opportunity to prepare work for exhibition and show projects to the public.
Dr. Iris Garrelfs, a Lecturer for the Year 2 installation module, said: “For me, it’s really interesting seeing people’s journey, looking at installation in more of an abstract way, and then coming to a place and seeing the possibility of it, and how everything has come together in a wonderful piece.”
“I am the editor for an online journal called Reflections on Process in Sound which puts the spotlight onto process in sound arts practice from the practitioner’s point of view, so my research slots right in with what I am exploring with these students, in terms of developing an installation in this way.”
‘I SEE YOU’, an installation based on surveillance, social media and voyeurism by students Krystyna Pezinska, Chiara Meadows and Pete Robertson was one of the pieces on display:
They said: “It started as a simple idea of an eye, and the fact that we were all being watched. Throughout the process of making the art, we wanted to make it about human surveillance in a literal sense by using human sensors rather than technological sensors.”
Student Milo Thesiger-Meacham presented an electro-magnetic based piece: “My work shown literally revolves around 1770 dental legend William Addis. It’s been suggested that he was sitting in prison with chunks of a prison meal lodged in his teeth and the bones of an animal leftover his plate. He put the two together and created the world’s first bone toothbrush.”
“As the batteries die down the piece evolves – materials used are an electric toothbrush, a guitar pick, a goat skull, a sheep skull and an electric motor.”
‘The Bell Foundry’ by student Patryk Gierczak explored the digitalisation of clocks. He said: “We wanted to emancipate the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, which actually stood in Whitechapel for 600 before it was taken down.
“This sound sculpture consists of a bell (found here in Whitechapel) an oil can and other found materials – we’re encouraging the visitors to play around with it. We are losing analogue sounds in our lives, you don’t really hear bells or clocks or anymore because they are digitalised.”
Dr. Milo Taylor, Course Leader for BA (Hons) Sound Arts & Design, said: “It is the first time that any of these students have done a fine art gallery show with sound work and they have risen to it fantastically.
“Before the exhibition I think they had some doubts and worries about it, but I knew that when it came together that they would be so chuffed with it. That seems to be the case so I am very happy for them!
“Exhibiting like this is a great learning experience for the students, and also a fantastic opportunity to get their work seen.”
Words by Yasmine Akim, BA (Hons) Photography graduate. Photos by Lei Zhang, BA (Hons) Photojournalism & Documentary Photography student.
- Find out more about BA (Hons) Sound Arts and Design.
- Find out more about Milo Taylor.
- Find the perfect course for you at an LCC Open Day.