Twelve
Huffa Birds,
Headless

(2008)

a kinetic sound
installation
by Dan Senn
.
Bludny Kamen
House of Art
Opava, The
Czech Republic
.
April 8-May 18, 2008

Installation
Video

Installation
Photos




      


      
One
      of Dan Senn's inflatable, flapping sound sculptures in the Oratorium,
      Opava.

      
Twelve
      Huffa Birds, Headless (in Czech, Dvanáct bláznivych ptákü) is an installation of 12 inflatable, flapping
      sound sculptures. Suspended throughout the exhibition space,
      the birds flutter, flap, expand and contract in a sonic environment
      of stereophonic bell rings, scrapes, street preaching and Portland
      traffic.

      
In the classical
      music sense, Twelve
      Huffa Birds, Headless
      is a "composed" installation. The birds, invented for
      this exhibition, function beyond the kinetic-sculptural as musical
      instruments for which a musical score has been written. In this
      respect, Dan Senn's art is often distinguished from other work
      in this field as it is informed from his ongoing identity as
      a composer of experimental
      classical music.

      
Twelve
      Huffa Birds, Headless
      has no intended meaning. The focus from the start was to fill
      the Bludny Kamen
      space with bird-like and kinetic sound sculpture which, in some
      sense, would connect with the work of the Czech sculptor Kurt
      Gebauer who's playful and wonderful work is well represented
      in the city of Opava and is part of the overall exhibition.

      
Dan Senn encourages the individual
      interpretations patrons bring to his art as his creative intentions
      are usually limited to working playfully with interesting materials
      while not insisting on any fixed metaphoric content. It has long
      been his conviction that meaningful art most often arises from
      that which has no intended meaning at all.

      
All the sounds heard in this
      installation arise from the Huffa Bird sound sculptures. Within
      each is a 4-inch woofer filled with epoxy, at the center of which
      is a metal loop. The woofer, using very low frequencies, is used
      to move the wings above, pump up the white bags below, and broadcast
      the sounds of Portland traffic, a Portland State University quad
      preacher, and ringing sounds from a bell
      which can be seen above one of the Huffa Birds in the photos
      and video.
      There is no additional sound except for those made by the air
      in-take and out-take valves also within the body of the birds.
      It has, of late, become necessary to mention this as many knowledgeable
      patrons have insisted that additional sounds are being broadcast
      secretly within the space. One entire blog was dedicated to the
      reviewers disgust over artists, myself included, who cheat on
      the sound.
Main Site