Proximities

"Proximities was recorded in 2010 during my time as the artist-in-residence at the Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas. I began by recording a performance of a series of tones played on an old battery powered Paia Oz, that were determined by the letters A-G as found in a text by minimalist sculptor Donald Judd. I recorded the tone sequence several times during sunrise, amidst 50 of Judd’s stainless steel sculptures in an old army barracks that has been converted into a museum. The performances were recorded with an H4 digital recorder, my iPhone and also a cheap Sony micro-cassette recorder. During several of the performances these small devices were emitting the sounds of previous performances from their tiny speakers. At times I also hummed. All of the processing in the recordings was generated by the extremely resonant physical space. The occasional popping sound, which can be heard at the end, are the sounds of Judd’s sculpture expanding while the sunrise changed the temperature within the space." Recorded in various spaces of the Chinati Foundation, 2010. all sounds generated and organized by Steve Roden. This work was made possible through the Chinati Artist in Residence Program. Special thanks to Rob Weiner. Cover photo: single frame from stop motion animated film by Steve Roden translating the vowel structure of a text by Donald Judd into overlapping transparent colors. Limited to 500 copies. Released in a slim cardboard sleeve.