Senn Completes Public Art Project for UWT
by Evelyn Bowen-Crawford, The Ledger, Tacoma, December 6, 1999

Tacoma sound artist Dan Senn recently completed his first permanent sculptural instrument as a public art project for the University of Washington, Tacoma.The Washington State Arts Commission and UWT dedicated th piece, called "Vertical Penduling" Nov, 3. "This was an important step for me. This particular piece allowed me to develop my art in a new direction, Senn commented at the dedication. The work consists of 16 aluminum bells being struck by 16 pine beaters. It sits above the West Coast Grocery atrium on the UWT campus.Senn was awarded the Artist-in-Residence for 1998 at the University of Washington at Tacoma. Senn is an inter/multimedia artist and performer. His work uses merging techniques in the sound art medium. He combines the visual, mechanical and musical into one performance piece, which is often improvised. Senn began building sculptural instruments in 1977. In the last few years his instrument building has focused on the development of pendulum-type instruments which have ranged in size from 18- square inches to 600 squaire feet.Senn often incorporates a pair of "shmoos harps," which he designed and built in the early '90s. A shmoos harp is one of a number of electronic feedback instruments he uses to create his multimedia sound performances. The harp is made from a silver serving plate, over which a small speaker transducer is mounted. Fishing lines, each with an attached microphone, run from the plate to an overhead forum. Senn then produces a series of "resonant frequencies" that he manipulates by hand-rotating the plates.Senn also generates sound the old-fashioned way. He might blow through didgeridoos made of PVC pipe or wander in the crowd, creating resonances on a set of metal lid/cymbals while one of his electronic installations plays itself.The new piece, "Vertical Penduling" is a new development based on the shmoos harp. The movement of the elements of the piece are orchestrated and the compositions are recorded on a CD. The compositions are made of low-pitched sounds that are not heard by the human ear. Each sound causes the vibration and movement of a particular line, which is attached to bar that is poised to strike a metal cone handmade to produce a specific tone. Each cone in this particular piece was individually made to specific criteria, governing the size and shape of the element. The visitors choose a disc number to start musical scores, which control the sculpture's movement from four CD players."My compositions for this installation are based on 5 mathematical algorithms," Senn explained. "It can be both aesthetic or an instructional experience." The relationship between the pieces of his the Vertical Penduling and the sequence of tones in these compositions involves mathematical relationships.His residency and commission at UWT were a project of the Washington State Arts Commission Art in Public Places Program in cooperation with the University of Washington. The program commissions, collects and maintains a state art collection that represents regional, national and int emotional artists and their work.For more information about Senn's work visit his website at www.newsense-intermedium.com.

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