~’RELATIVE FIELDS in a GARDEN ‘ . . CLOSING EVENT / with PRECOG & VIRTUAL DREAM CENTER / QUEENS MUSEUM
‘RELATIVE FIELDS in a GARDEN’ . . . by HEIDI HOWARD & LIZ PHILLIPS
OCT 7, 2018 – FEB 16, 2020
QUEENS MUSEUM
PHOTOS FROM THE CLOSING EVENT – SUN FEB 16, 2020
QUEENS MUSEUM assistant curator . . . SOPHIA MARISA LUCAS,
with the large mural, hand-painted by HEIDI HOWARD, and elements of the immersive / audio by LIZ PHILLIPS, behind her.
‘RELATIVE FIELDS in a GARDEN’ . . was organized by Ms. Lucas along with artist BASEERA KHAN.
support for the project was provided by AGNES GUND.
part of the beauty of the piece, was experiencing how it fit into the open, airy, steel & glass museum,
with natural light flooding through large windows & skylights.
the bamboo ‘pipes’ hanging from the ceiling – are part of the ‘audio’ component / an interactive ‘sonic’ landscape.
I believe they hold the ambient light ‘sensors’ ?
LIZ PHILLIPS . . “spends much time tending to and recording in her urban garden in Sunnyside, Queens. She captures shifts to the sonic landscape that correspond to changes in its physical conditions. In this process, she employs deep listening & recording as a way of learning,
and over many years has developed a keen attunement to the rhythmic cycles & intersections of her home – from bird species to
traffic flow. Her speakers emphasize & manipulate these subtleties, playing a continuously modulating composition which uses sensors
to respond to the progression & intensity of sunlight across the wall.”
~QUEENS MUSEUM
HEIDI HOWARD’S . . “paintings depict friends & loved ones (often fellow artist) in ways that convey not just the characteristics of her sitters, but also her relationships to them & their work. In ‘Relative Fields in a Garden’, her wall mural images 3 generations of women. With fantastical flora that bridge representation & abstraction, and sculptural elements including ceramic flowers, dried bamboo, and birch veneer,
the work transitions through the seasons, moving from left to right.”
~QUEENS MUSEUM
note: the large drawing of a woman tending a garden, is her mother, who is the audio artist / Liz Phillips.
so it really is . . . ‘Relative Fields’ .. in a Garden !!
it’s always really fresh & authentic, when ‘institutions’ in particular, can relate to . . intimate relationships, esp among women,
without feeling they will compromise . . their ‘seriousness’.
I’m thinking . . . this detail, so vivid with its 3D ‘ornamentation’, such as ceramic flowers that petal outwards /
must be . . Heidi’s grandmother / as the museum writings – refer to 3 generations ?
“The 3D elements animate the painting aurally as well as visually. Chosen for their resonant material qualities,
Phillips has turned them into speakers for her field recordings by connection them to transducers, which convert
electrical signals into tactile sound.”
~QUEENS MUSEUM
HEIDI HOWARD, with her mural.
LIZ HOWARD, at left, with her daughter, artist HEIDI HOWARD at right.
LIZ PHILLIPS, . . a pioneer in the audio arts / “has been making interactive sound installations for over 4 decades.”
GABY COLLINS-FERNANDEZ . . co-editor of PRECOG MAGAZINE,
joined them at the closing event / panel.
Heidi Howard & Liz Phillips / and their ‘Relative Fields in a Garden’ project, are some of the artists featured in the newest Issue #5 of . . Precog / launching at Printed Matter, St. Marks Place – this Fri Feb 21, 2020.
NICHOLAS STEINDORF, of VIRTUAL DREAM CENTER ,
joined the panel, which focused on artist collaborations.
apart from his collaboration with JEAN-BAPTISTE LENGLET, based in Paris / of VDC,
he is also a collaborative partner with KYLE WILLIAMS in their digital arts project: BLINN & LAMBERT.
note: as well as featuring ‘Relative Dreams in a Garden’, in their new curatorial issue / Precog also collaborated with VIRTUAL DREAM CENTER, to produce the issue . . as a game engine / digital project / on the VDC platform,
with the technical & creative help of Nicholas Steindorf.
pictured on the screen . . is the ‘Relative Dreams in a VR Garden’ immersive ‘game’.
all downlaods on the VDC platform – are free / download here: VDC / VIRTUAL DREAM CENTER.
in the audience, FLORENCIA ESCUDERO, another co-editor of Precog Magazine.
and at left, KELLIE KONAPELSKY, the third Precog co-editor.
see: PRECOG MAGAZINE
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH