Shovel On A Car Hood: A Concert for Sand Hill Cranes 2010
Performance, Sound > Click Here for Audio
While at the Homestead artist residency in Alaska, Jennifer Schmidt played select metal objects in "metal alley" using found tools and instruments to produce sounds.
A depository of metal objects whose history, function and value are in question, the area exists as a monument to "man's will," survival, and presence. Giant metal barrels, old missile casings, car hoods, washing machines, beach chairs, bicycles, gears, and mattress springs sit stacked, folded, and heaped in piles— in the middle of the wilderness. 100 feet from the house, at the mouth of a long, dirt driveway, accumulated objects speak of what it means to mark an area of influence, and the role of ownership.
The objects and tools chosen to produce sounds include: a large metal barrel for kicking, a metal barrel and a round gear, a metal vent and tire treads, shovel on a car hood, and shovel on a car hood redux.
The audio recording was then played as a concert for Sand Hill cranes— amplified over the bog, into the crane’s habitat and territory.
The piece exists as a poetic and knowing response to the crane’s sonic performance surrounding the definition of space, which the artist had observed over several days—while sitting on the stage platform (built by Garett Yahn).
