INTERFERENCE
in B Flat 2005 and 2006
DVD
projection, sound, black and white 1 min 48 sec loop
In the
early 1800s, Dr Thomas Young experimented with interfering light waves; under certain conditions, two rays of
light could be made to annihilate one another and produce darkness.
An
aggressive yet mesmerising work, Interference
assaults both our eyes and ears. ‘Moire’ patterns created by layering net
structures are juxtaposed with sound based on a 60 Hz computer generated tone,
the same frequency as beating hawk moth’s wings.
Walking
around the installation, the viewer comes across nodes and antinodes of louder
and quieter sound, as the interfering sound waves are reflected around the
space and form standing waves (in which the crests of one sound wave occupy the
same position as the troughs of another).
Shown at
Plymouth Art Centre as part of Blackout, this work came directly
out of the experience of spending three months in the forests of Maine at the
Skowhegan School of Art, where Andrews researched the behaviour of nocturnal
animals; in particular, fireflies and moths.
In 2006 a new, 60
minute, silent version of this work was projected directly onto the Forest of
Dean at night. A quivering, shimmering ‘net’ appeared to hover in the trees,
forming an animated space into which visitors were invited to walk. Children’s comments ranged from ‘It’s
like walking into Narnia’ to ‘It’s like walking into the TV!’
Shown at ‘REVEAL’
2006 (Forest of Dean Sculpture Trust Commission)