Michelle Behling, Student Work

The sense I chose was hearing:

"Sea robins, drum-fishes and many others make sounds with their swim bladders; croakers grunt loud enough to keep China Sea fishermen awake at night; Hawiian triggerfish grind their teeth loudly ; the male toadfish growls; bottlenose dolphins click and squeak like badly oiled office chairs..." (198)
Diane Ackerman, Natural History of the Senses, 1990.

This part of the chapter made me think a lot about the natural sounds in our environments. When I go to sleep at night, the sounds I hear are the refrigerator and other electrical humming sounds. I wanted to respond to the abundance of mechanical sounds that can be heard throughout the day. Often I think we tune out these sounds and then blend into the background. However, in most building these sounds are present. I think it's interesting that often lights and machines buzz more and more with time as the parts wear down, making them impossible to fabricate.

I wanted to interfere with the space and create mechanical noise in the background to alter the sense of hearing.  I tested several types of lights using an electronic dimmer, a common cause of humming lights, to test the volume and sound of the hum. Although this experience has visual sensory information, it is primarily meant to be felt as an auditory experience.  I attempted to partially shield the visual aspect of the light with a curtain in my installation.

Ultimately this project was my first experience with lighting and sound. At first, I was unsure if I could even produce humming lights, as they are considered a problem meant to be solved. It seemed as if this project was the backwards solution to a problem- a solution created through a reverse process. 

Research:
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/fix-humming-incandescent-light-fixture-34036.html
https://www.smarthome.com/sh-solutions-why-do-lights-buzz-when-using-dimmer.html