Vibraphone player, three ladlers, two assistants, ice, Pykrete, dry ice, paper, molten glass
45 minutes
Hot glass, the central performer in this event, activates heat-sensitive materials and melts custom-made ice, Pykrete, and dry ice molds. Some ice forms are melted completely while others cool and solidify the glass. A vibraphone player accompanies the dramatic glow and movement of the glass and ice as they are transformed, glass from liquid to solid and ice from solid to liquid.
This work is an exploration of the potential of a synesthetic relationship between sound and temperature, as visualized through the heating and cooling of material in the intense emanation of light generated from the hot glass and its gradual dissipation through the various forms of ice.
Luminous Flux is inspired by two musicians who were deeply invested in the synesthesia of color and sound: the Russian composer Scriabin, and in particular his composition “Fire Poem”, and Thomas Wilfred, the inventor of the Clavilux or the “Color Organ.”
Participants: Caitlyn Au, Aaron Pexa, Chris Wolston, Gayle Forman, Ali Freeney, James Akers and Sarah Hennies (vibraphone)
