Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 18, 2009)
4 Clackamas Print Arts Culture Wednesday, Feb 18, 2009 Sound and breath unite in art Kayla Calloway The Clackamas Print “It took several weeks,” said Senn. “But, it was built from previous works, so it’s probably a couple years of work in the making.” Students buzzed about the »'exhibit after the lecture, say ing it is unique. • Katie Spittle, a’student who attended the lecture, found it interesting, although she couldn’t hear the recorded noises. “I could feel the vibrations,” said Spittle. Spittle also commented on how, visually, the piece was stimulating, and how it didn’t rely on either the sound or the sight by itself. During the lecture, Senn also talked about some of his past pieces. One such piece was called “Uncovered States.” The piece includes one sub woofer speaker, wire, and sticks. The speaker generates low frequencies that bounce the wire and the sticks, which hit small metal disks, causing The most recent exhibit in the Alexander Gallery has caused a stir. The sonic sculp tor has some people scratching their heads in confusion, but artist Dan Senn says it takes . some time to fully understand. “Take a look,” said Senn, during his lecture in the art center on Thursday, Feb. 12. According to Senn, most people fail to spend enough time observing the artwork. Observing, in this case, does not mean only staring at the piece, but listening to the canned sound of Senn’s breath ing played on a constant loop. The piece itself is of several black pipes with white garbage bags on the end. The record ings inflate the bags, giving the effect that the pieces are breathing. This was an innova tion of an earlier installation of Senn’s in Prague, which was just one part of a multi-piece exhibit, titled “Den Homiku,” which took place in an old mining building. Senn’s contributions to the exhibit were old rubber boots that hung from the ceil ing.'White garbage bags were placed at the boots’ openings and “breathed” like the current piece at the Niemeyer. The piece on display was In the Alexander Gallery, the room is filled with the sound of artist Dan Senn’s breathing, built in November of this past recorded and played in a continuous loop. White garbage bags and sound are recuring pieces of Senn’s artworks, this one is titled “Twisted Pairs Expanding.” year. sound. All of Senn’s works ij sounds. “I am first a coma said Senn. In addition to art, composes and records j Recently, he finished a that debuted in New City. Senn travels acrost nation giving lectures t art and work. He offers< to students, including ma ing in his lecture that E is a better environment artist. “I believe strongly j ducing lots of bad art,1 Senn, another piece of) for up and coming artist The exhibit is in thea lery at the Niemeyer, will be running throt the rest of February ai March. Because of the soun duced by the piece, tk is closed. If you wish to the exhibit, please conti Art Department. The exit is 2386. See this exhibit the Alexander Gallery in the Niemeyer Cent until March 21 Budget cuts threatei coastal history class Jess Sheppard | Arts & Culture Editor Contributed Photo Last spring the coast class spent part of their Newport trip at Boiler Bay watching the water for whales and the skies for bald eagles. Below: On the Spring 2008 trip to Newport, Bown’s coast class had the opportunity to see this group of harbor seals resting at Yaquina Head. Without this class and others like it, students will lose the chance to see the native Oregon wildlife they are learning about up close and in their natural habitats.* Contributed Photo With the onset of the budget crisis, it seems an ima axe is looming over many classes, and its shadow has no unnoticed by student’s. One class that is under the threat of the proverbial ping block is science instructor Jennifer Bown’s History Oregon Coast. It’s one of Clackamas’ diversity classes, other weekend is a trip to a part of the Oregon Coast,i once per week lecture on the places visited. “You have to have furi classes, or people lose interest student Lane Locke. But, more than just being a fun and engaging class,! and several other students agree on its academic value. “This is biology, ecology, oceanography and geolog class and you get everything,” said Kyla Bandasith, a student in the coast class. “I’ve lived most of my life here, and this is the mos ever learned about the Coast,” added Melissa Major, yeti er student of the class. According to Karen K. Kruse, still another stude Bown’s coast class, “Courses like this are foundations." But unfortunately, the current crisis in the budget, pt threat to the History of the Oregon Coast class and other! es like it. The .shadow of that intangible axe has some st# speaking out in their course’s defense. “This class is one of only a few diversity classes«! take. The others (regular biology classes) are boring," Bandasith. “Someone who lives here should know this stuff," Major. “It could save your life. Now we know not to si algae.” x “Keeping this class will give an opportunity to find! out about Oregon,” said Locke. Bown shares her students’ eagerness to keep not History of the Oregon Coast, but other courses like it,’ offer an experience outside the normal science class. “These diversity classes are what make us unique® other community colleges,” said Bown. “We’re actually going to the places we’re learning! instead of a regular biology class,” , said Locke. Bandasith, in particular, is hopeful that thè course» be cut. “If they get rid of this class, they won’t get any morel tuition money,” said Bandasith vehemently.
