Moving either the top-mounted pump handle or the accordion-fold plunger located at the base operates S.W.A.R.M. #1. It produces a kind of choral moan reminiscent of a beehive, hence its name. Unlike the beehive, however, this sound can be modulated in volume, pitch, and rhythm. It has been described as "other worldly." At its heart are two separate pneumatic devices, the piston driven pump and the drain plunger, that drive a column of air through an array of reeds from children's toys. I imagine it amplified, processed, and being played by two muscians as a featured instrument.

    S.W.A.R.M. was originally made for "Quiet," a showing of noisemaking sculptures presented at the Lump Gallery in Raleigh, NC, December 1998. A CD from the show is available from Wifflefist .

 

 

 
 

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