Typical Sounds Creating Atypical Art

This month, local artist and engineer Ernesto Gomez will display unusual pieces of artwork in the Plunkett Gallery of Hardman Hall, home to Mercer’s art department.

Gomez’s exhibit showcases an arrangement of everyday sounds recorded around Hardman Hall.

“Every building has a voice and resonance depending on its material make-up, interior systems and spatial volume,” Gomez said. Gomez used the “voice” of Hardman Hall to break through the parameters of artistic sound, including syncopated and staggered rhythms that create a novel auditory experience.

“These sounds combined with human interactions within the building create indeterminate compositions that I record, archive, and sculpt electronically,” Gomez said.

Gomez manipulates the sounds he records by giving each set of sounds a certain time to play in tandem with other noises.

“Gomez played each sound back on a loop, each stereo on a slight delay,” Eric O’Dell, a Mercer art professor, said.

Gomez’s focus on the use of everyday sounds may change the way some individuals look at their surroundings after viewing the piece.

“This audio transcription reminds us of how highly efficient we are in filtering-out the visual and aural artifacts of our society,” Gomez said.

Alisabeth Graham, a Mercer sophomore, speculated that Gomez’s showcase of everyday sounds has broken the typical ideals of auditory art.

“Art is a form of expression, and the combination of different sounds in Gomez’s piece exemplifies his artistic ability to analyze and create an entirely new and unheard [of] piece of art,” Graham said.

The showcase is meant to open your eyes, ears, and all other senses to the beauty that may be just around the corner. The exhibit will be on display until Oct. 24.