Process Piece

Jared came up with the idea to make a fictional process, which later was approved for this project.  Initially, we were going to document the process necessary for bringing a monster to life, or some other fanciful medical procedure.  In the end, we decided to go with another of Jared’s brilliant ideas and have a robot performing a liver transplant.

We produced the sound much like an old radio show by having all the voice actors in the room at the same time, and most of the sound effects were done during the same recording.  We added very little to the master recording.   Sterling was the man being operated on, Jared was in charge of having the computer automated sound bites used for Dr. Red’s voice play at the correct times, and Jared’s wife Carly played the part of Dr. Sterling.  Even though we decided it would be too gruesome to have a women play the part of the patient, we still kept the name of the Dr.

Even though there are a few restrictions that come from having most of the sound on one long take, it also yields a more natural response and interpersonal interaction from people participating.

Some of the sounds that we added in later include cracking nuts and squeezing a wet sponge that we layered on top of the screaming part at the end.   In addition, we added clicking from a lamp switch and background conversation to introduce the listener to a televised broadcast.  Everything else, including the footsteps and the electric razor, which became our bone saw were all recorded on the same track as the dialogue.  We still did piece everything together and altered the volume levels for better clarity using Garage Band.

After doing the initial recording, we still had to double check and make sure that this went along with what was intended with the assignment.  Most people are probably documenting processes where everything goes well and according to plan.  Where there is a clear finished product.  In ours, something goes wrong, and even though there is a clear beginning, middle and end, the final outcome was not what was initially expected nor apparently intended.

https://soundcloud.com/sterling-e/dr-red

Tiny Stories

While reading Annie Dillard's "Seeing", I was struck with a reflective, introspective urge to think about my life and human experience. In her essay, she explains the illusive nature of perception and the importance of conscious and meticulous observation of the ordinary. 'Ordinary' becomes significant when you consider that life is constructed of ordinary things with a few rare glimpses into the realm of unordinary. If one cannot observe the ordinary, then one will miss life entirely. By using geospatial technologies and Google's monumental image archive, I returned to significant places in my life and attempted to assimilate the recorded images with my recorded perceptions. I found myself feeling a mixture of subjectivity and objectivity in the experience. I saw the places as distant, yet alive and 'glowing' as Dillard describes it, when visual stimuli becomes 'seeing'. The images brought to my remembrance 'Tiny Stories' from throughout my life. I have chosen to feature these locations due to the strong memories or associations that they mustered. Particularly the images and places that were related to my wife and our experiences together were of interest to me.
My choice of medium was influenced by the former director of the Central Utah Art Center, Jared Latimer. To tell stories of his relationship with his environment and dependency on technology, he made several award-winning paintings of Google's street view images.

I helped plant the quaking Aspen 17 years ago. The tree was a favorite place for outdoor bathroom breaks. I like to think I helped it grow so tall. First home in America.  

I picked up my first blind date from this bed and breakfast. Married her 3 years later.

Proposed in this vacant house. Owners still don’t know. For this reason we have never published pictures of the proposal on social networks.

Our first home together, affectionately named “the summer home”. The Landlord disappeared. Weeks later we received a notice of unlawful detainment applied to our door.

The historic Mayor’s Mansion in downtown Provo. 5000 sq. ft. house; 500 sq. ft. apt with a 100 sq. ft. balcony. Current habitation.

Music Mosiac

When listening to "Heard Them Stirring" by the Fleet Foxes, my mind is often filled with flowing, organic images. These abstract thoughts and visions of nature are frequently in direct conflict with my physical environment.  It encourages me to consider my own presence and influence on my immediate surroundings. I chose to take photographs of my environment on the edge of where urbanization touches the untouched, the organic. Using charcoal, I modified prints of the photographs to add an abstractness to perhaps express the feelings that occur when I find myself on these lines between order and chaos.