2012 Exhibition
30. Community Beacons
Community Beacons are exciting interactive sculptures that leverage the potentials of music and analog technology to enliven communities with joyous expressions of rhythm and light. The Beacons are drums: essentially user-powered light and sound instruments that light up when played without batteries or external power. When they are played – banged, hit and tapped – the vibrations from the drumhead are converted to electricity by the speaker transducer. Players will discover and experiment with complex energy relationships through the drums’ simple mechanics. During Dlectricity there will be choreographed performances, including the original “Thunderclap” by Paul Cox and his arrangement of “Liftoff” by Russell Peck. After each performance, the drums will be available to the public for interaction and the exploration of human-generated power.
Artist Information
The Art Firm of McCormack & Figg
Matthew McCormack and Jenn Figg are artists and scholars who began collaborating in 2009 after recognizing mutual interests in energy, technology and the changing environment. They explore sustainability and alternative energy production through sculptural and kinetic installations. Both are at Towson University, where Figg is an Assistant Professor of Art and McCormack is pursuing his Interdisciplinary MFA. They live in Baltimore, Maryland. For more information, please visit mccormackandfigg.com.
Paul Cox is a composer, scholar, and percussionist in Cleveland, Ohio. He currently teaches music history and percussion at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. He has worked as the Assistant Curator of Music, the Associate Director of Performing Arts at the Cleveland Museum of Art and was also the co-director of the Aki Festival of New Music.
Samuel Haese is a musician and scientist earning a BA in Music through Cleveland Institute of Music and a degree in Engineering Physics from Case Western Reserve University.
Ryan Hilty is a percussionist earning a degree in Music Education from the Case Western Reserve University School of Music.
Eric Young is a musician and computer scientist majoring in Audio Engineering and Computer Science at Case Western Reserve University.