Stephanie Jeanjean, PhD has known China Blue for over 20 years. Dr. Jeanjean reflects on her conversations with China Blue over that time and how although her work has changed her focus remains the same. Listen to the interview here.
The exhibition “Listening for the Unheard” is a presentation of sculptures, installations and paintings. These are pieces that play with the sounds in Saturn’s rings discovered by the artist. For this reason this exhibition celebrates her interest in using sound as a sculptural form. China Blue sees its capacity to fill and in addition, to energize space by calling upon its Fung Shui application. In this showcase she defines the internal architectural space as having its own shape delineated by sonics. In addition, this is a terrain, based on sampling our sonic environment for what we don’t hear. This includes these acoustics which she and her team discovered for NASA. Lastly, this is a focus she has honed for over 20 years.
In this presentation are acrylic paintings, sound sculptures, a sonic installation and in addition the sound walk “Saturn Walk” which encourages public participation.
Unheard
The unheard is a category of sound not accessible to human ears. It is a concept that can be applied to words or language that we are deaf to resulting from the internalization of racism or sexism. Moreover by exploring this arena China Blue illuminates the importance of learning to listen into what we are not mindful of to strengthen our divided communities.
Events
“Gravity Cloud” is a collaboration with Canadian dancer & choreographer, Andrea Nann and Lance Massey with China Blue’s sonic labyrinth work “Saturn Walk.”
The artist’s talk is presented by Art Historian, Stephanie Jeanjean, PhD. Dr. Jeanjean’s whose indepth knowledge of the artist’s work has spanned over two decades. She interviews China Blue about her interest in Saturn’s sounds and finally, how she came to make these diverse works.
Dates
Exhibition Dates: May 13-June 18, 2023 Location:Jane St Art Center 11 Jane Street, Saugerties, NY
Events: May 21, 2:00-4:00 “Gravity Cloud” a live music and dance collaboration June 3, 3:00-5:00 Art Historian Stephanie Jeanjean, PhD interviews the artist about her work.
at Sojourner Gallery 446 West 34th Street NYC Dates: February 6 – March 16, 2023 Opening: February 9, 6-9pm
One element of “Saturn’s Siren” will be on display for this exhibition.
Sound is a sojourn that bridges the past and the present while paving the path to a future. It makes audible the progression of time as we experience it. And, by simply listening we discover the evolving new truths that time presents to us. “Saturn’s Song” is an installation that will enable us to listen into the sounds in Saturn’s rings that China Blue discovered for NASA. Like the Perseverance rover that had the first embedded microphone for us to listen into the winds on Mars “Saturn’s Siren” will enable people to experience the sonic events occurring in her rings ranging from the ice particles that are constantly impacting each other to her moons’ interactions.
Listen to Timothy Myer’s interview of China Blue in his podcast Listening on Purpose with Timothy Myers. Mr. Myers is the Principal Conductor & Artistic Advisor at Austin Opera.
This hexagonal soundwalk replicates the cloud pattern over Saturn’s North Pole in a labyrinth and includes a composition inspired by the sonics of Saturn’s rings that the artist discovered for NASA and composed with Lance Massey, creator of the T-Mobile ringtone.
Premiered May 31, 2022, in Pauline Oliveros‘ 90th Birthday, at the Deep Listening Plaza, Kingston, NY. Also presented at MAD Kingston 2022.
Pauline Oliveros is known for her enduring contributions to music and the practice of deep listening.
