Concept
People tend to forget about the everyday sounds of living in a city, but our experience takes the sound waves that get lost in the background noise and positions them in an open space park to show just how much noise pollution you actually hear. By generating a waveform image based on an audio clip taken at busy Boulder street and using that as a blueprint for a massive sculpture we are creating a visual representation of noise pollution that dramatically illustrates how much it affects the environment.
Context
Noise pollution is often overlooked when discussing the damaging effects humans have on their environments due to it’s abundance all around us. We have become accustomed to tuning it out as it has become an ingrained part of our built surroundings. However, studies have shown that noise pollution can cause strain on both human and animal health; in humans, excessive noise can cause headaches, increase blood pressure, hearing loss, and sleeping disorders. In animals, these problems are exacerbated due to their heightened hearing. Several studies have also suggested that the increase in noise pollution is changing how wildlife behaves for the worse, making it harder for some animals to find mates and food. North Boulder and Foothills Park, in particular, are at the cross section of this problem because this area has as many developed spaces as it does natural land, which means both humans and wildlife are feeling the effects of noise pollution.
Content
The purpose of this project is to help people understand the impact of noise pollution and how much it affects the environment. People should leave the experience feeling a greater appreciation for their open spaces and their distance from the loudness of city life. Mainly, we want to bring attention to how much we are adding to our environment, and by placing it in a generally quiet open space area, will demonstrate just how abrasive and interrupting noise can be. As creators, we hope to learn how to create an experience that brings a question to people’s mind and sparks discussion.
Fabrication
We knew from the start we were not going to be able to build the full project we envisioned due to budget constraints, but to get around this we made multiple models and renders of what the sculpture could potentially look like.
After recording the original audio clip, we converted it into a waveform image using a website after doing a quick google search. The waveform image and the renders served as a blueprint for the physical models.
To build the 1/8th model, we purchased ¼” brass tubes and cut them down to size based on the waveform image. After cutting and filing the brass tubes, we sprayed painted them a bright metallic pink color. When the spray paint finally dried we tried many different types of glue to get the tubes to stick to the base.
For the base of the ⅛ model, we cut chipboard to approximately 11” x 24” so that we could place the metal pillars about 1.25” apart. We also added some simple topo layers to represent the foothills the sculpture would be backed up to. The overall look of the model was minimalist and modern.
Building the ½ model detail was challenging and required a lot of labor. We had to cut roughly 25’ wood beams into 6 pieces and then sand it all. Sanding was the worst part because we bought cheap splintery wood, so it took a lot of time to sand the wood to be smooth enough to pass for metal. After sanding then we had to paint the wood, which required 6 coats of spray paint (2 layers of a base pink, 2 layers of metallic pink, and 2 layers of clear gloss).
After finishing the beams and making them similar to metal beams, we realized that they wouldn’t stand on their own, so we had to figure out a way to prop them up. In the end, we decided on screwing the beams to 1’x1’ particle board with L shaped brackets.
Implementation & Conclusion
The interaction of our project mainly comes from listening to the audio and walking around the pillars. Through the audio, the essence of the problem becomes clear and people can understand how much space noise pollution actually takes up. By walking around the pillars, in conjunction with the audio, the starkness of the display becomes apparent from the park. Ultimately, we felt that our project represented how to depict noise pollution and how to better understand why it is such a big deal in our environment.
This project was something that we felt helped create awareness of how much noise pollution we have in our spaces and that it might be something we want to change. Moving forward, we thought about doing a compare and contrast element by depicting the audio taken from the park in the same spot we took the original clip from. But, we feel our project was successful in its intention to depict noise pollution in an eye-catching way.
Reflection
This assignment was challenging for me, I felt a lot of pressure to come up with a compelling experience that everyone would be impressed by. Initially, I thought our idea was interesting and had a lot of potential, but the more I worked on it the more unsure I became. Toward the end of the project I realized that it would have been a better project if we changed the material and concept, so that the sculpture mitigates noise pollutions. This felt like such an obvious idea and it was annoying to come to this conclusion right before the due date. Overall, I think we elevated our concept by including several different deliverables. One thing I wish I could change is the video, I think Amanda and I should have both spent more time on it and included more people interacting with the sculpture.
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