VITRIFIED SOUND

Vitrified Sound contains 24 porcelain slip-cast discs, cast from vinyl records. The content of these discs includes eight different sound collages, comprised of various field recordings made in Western North Carolina. These porcelain LPs rest on the wall, held by plywood plates with pegs, open and facing outward to the viewer. Accompanying the LPs is a plywood console built to reference an iconic piece of midcentury modern furniture. This console stands upright on its side, placed in the middle of a found area rug. Three found turntables and headphones sit within various stations on the console for the viewer to listen to the porcelain LPs.

When creating Vitrified Sound, I considered these physical and associative material qualities. The 24 slip-cast discs reference the historical and formal power of an LP. The physical properties deal with porcelain’s ability to be cast and hold physical information, as well as its sonic qualities when played on a turntable. The “iconic” image of the LP carries with it a pre-knowledge of the object’s function, accessing the viewers' associative understanding of how to engage with it. The choice of porcelain even elevates the precious associations with these LPs. Accompanying the porcelain discs are turntables and a plywood console that looks to iconic midcentury modern furniture. The materials themselves are durable, stable, and have an association with furniture making, providing a structure to display a portion of the installation. The associative qualities of the record console as a form, which in a sense acts as an altar for one to engage with LPs, again guides the viewer’s interaction with this installation. All aspects are considered, based on these parameters. Each signifier suggests a functionality in the work, which relies on the shorthand of pre-knowledge, that invites the audience’s activation.