Prairie Drum was part of the group show called Field Phenomena curated by Douglas Garofalo and presented by the Contemporary Arts Council of Chicago at Thomas Blackman Gallery. Hunsinger was also featured as a panelist at SOFA Chicago 2001.

The artist statement is included below the video gallery.

The Kingfisher Aerial was an additional sound piece installed in a surround sound effect, circling above our heads in the gallery and replicating my experience while recording the birds.

Click here to listen to Kingfisher Aerial.mp3

 

 

Artist Statement
The Prairie Drum was inspired by a love of the natural prairie and a fascination with invented instruments. I wanted a tall grass-like structure that would make sounds. There are many different versions of tube drums, most of which are suspended and/or struck on end. I wanted this type of plunky pitched sound, but I wanted the tubes to come up from the ground. The tubes are attached to 36″ steel rods by a water balloon element, which also serves as a resonator. The drums are tuned by length and by adjusting their attachment point by degrees.

The tubes sway with any floor movement and are activated/sounded by brushing one’s arms through them, as one might brush the tall grasses while hiking a trail.