Observations
One of the interesting aspects of this installation was that audiences were invited to witness the process of installing the piece in order to monitor its progress (see card above). Tom Schmitt and i used most of the obsolete equipment still stored in closets in the A/V department at miami-dade college in conjunction with our own. It all gave the installation its pawnshop-like ambiance.
I had recently written a sound poem which became the language based thread for the installation—a poem i also used in a vocal piece dedicated to Joan LaBarbara. Tom incorporated the text into the visual material that appeared on the screens. The poem is called Enclosures and it reads:
ENCLOSURESFILLEDWITHFAMILIARSOUNDSTHEIRNATURALPRESE
NCEENABLETHEMINDTOTUNETHEMOUTSILENCEOFSORTSALTERIN
GTHEINDIVIDUALNATUREOFONESOUNDSEPARATESITFROMTHEOT
HERSCHANGINGTHEHOMOGENEOUSFABRICOFTHEWHOLEANOISEI
SCREATEDTHATDERAILSTHOUGHTTHROUGHUNBEATENMINDPATHS
— GM, 1994