Page 70 - Studio International - October 1970

transition from one to the other. The larger Neither is light used to build an image
opening is a continual invitation to the out- within a space, nor is it used for shaping a
side environment to enter into the triangular space. Light is an inherent part of the project
rooms. Once inside the first small room, it is as to the degree where the rooms appear to
though an invisible current pulls one across the generate their own light, when in actuality,
room toward a point of convergence. Rather they are receiving light from an outdoor
than converging into an acute angle, the source. Although no source of light exists
first room ends in a twenty-four-inch-wide within the project, light remains an integral
pathway. Simultaneously, the pathway be- part of the rooms, day and night. The artist
comes the beginning of a second much larger imposes no outside light within the interior;
room that diverges until a 25 ft 9 in. back wall nevertheless, light naturally flows into the
is reached. Leaving the project is the reverse project. Sunlight and moonlight are as much a
of entering. The second large inner room part of the outside environment.
narrows down, closing in upon itself at the A spatial phenomenon is created and defined
pathway, which then reopens into the first by light and sound as objects of perception,
room. The first small room flows wider and rather than by the bordering interior architec-
wider until it meets the outside environment. ture of walls, floor, and ceiling. Light gives
5 Sound of traffic, of people walking past the the space a brilliant yellowish colour during
Plan of the installation at
the Pomona College Art gallery—sounds of vibrations of the day that the day and a deep, dense blue at night.
Gallery
vary from minute to minute, hour to hour—all Sound is responsible for the acoustically thick
enter the project. Being exposed to outdoor and thin areas within the space, that, although
conditions, the first small room transmits not visual, can be sensed as one passes through
sounds through the pathway into the back them. All surfaces appear to dissolve, as they
room. They are amplified as they pass into are overwhelmed by the space. They evade
the first room, but are further intensified as detection of their location. For example, the
they enter the second larger room. High ceiling is so ambiguous that few ever know its
frequency sounds are greatly intensified to a proper height (6 ft 4 in.) ; it is so low that it
degree where they are louder in the back room can be touched if one were to lift one's arms
than at their places of origin. Sound is con- above one's head. As the space exists independ-
sidered to be acoustically thin (rather than ently from the existing architecture, it be-
acoustically thick) in the areas where it is comes a boundless space extending toward
more reverberant—in the passageway and infinity.
along the back wall. For example, a visually With each day and night, there is sunlight and
dark area appears to be more dense, more moonlight. With each day and night, there is
weighty than a visually light area; a darkly temperature and air movement and always a
lit room appears to be almost impenetrable as myriad of sounds and odours. All of these
one gropes his way through it. In the same elements mix together with an irregular-
way, the acoustically thick areas seem to be shaped interior architecture. None of them
more dense, allowing for noise absorption, overshadow one another, nor do they, com-
while the thin areas seem to act as a vacuum bined, overshadow the architecture. A balance
that draws in and intensifies sound. These exists. As ambient outside elements enter the
thick and thin areas form a spatial pattern new interior environment, they are given
perceived as one experiences it. direction by the triangular rooms, and spon-
Light fills and saturates the first small room taneously change in response to the ever-
which, in turn, generates much less light into changing day and night. Perceiving the
the second. All interior surfaces, except the elements out-of-doors and perceiving them as
One large irregular-shaped area appears to be inner back wall, are exposed to a subtle a partner of the interior architecture are
two adjoining rooms; the rooms, one much gradation of light, from bright to dark, becom- different experiences. One is more conscious
larger than the other, are in the form of right ing darker towards the back wall. Softly glow- of the inside elements, because they present
triangles; the triangular rooms converge and ing, the back wall itself reflects the most themselves more obviously. For example,
flow into one another at their narrowest point, amount of light. light forms shadows and gradations upon wall
beginning a short passageway connecting the Light entering the project will vary, depend- surfaces, as it becomes a dense space filling the
two rooms. One wall of each room has a ing upon the sun's location in the sky. Since project, while sound becomes more reverbe-
corresponding parallel wall and corresponding the project is open twenty-four hours a day, rant and more tangible. Yet, the project re-
angle in the other room, and both rooms are night light, as well as daylight, enters. At tains a familiar quality that is reminiscent of
positioned so they are the reverse of each night, the moon is the main source of illu- the outside environment—one that is unassum-
other. This interior architecture is Michael mination for the two rooms. However, the ing. Because light, sound, odours, temperature
Asher's project that was constructed February, shadows upon the walls of the first room and air movements are a part of each new
1970, over a period of a month of develop- are softened by a blending together of two day, we are accustomed to their omnipresence.
ment. It was one in a series of one-man other light sources : a seventy-five watt light Never do they startle us by not manifesting
exhibitions organized by Hal Glicksman for covered with clear and blue Plexiglas, having themselves one day, or for a short time only.
the Pomona College Art Gallery. two fibreglass diffusers in between (flushed Never do they demand attention. They sim-
One enters the project through a 6 ft 7 in. by up to the portico ceiling), and the street ply exist, from day to day, with all their innate
6 ft 10 in. opening rather than through a door- lights. As a result, dark blue colouring is naturalness and spontaneity, with all their
way. A door defines a separation between the mixed into the night light of the project. subtle beauty. Such is the unassuming nature
outside and inside, while a larger opening de- Light is not used as a tool to support an exist- of Michael Asher's project.
emphasizes the separation causing a natural ing object by reflection or transmission. BARBARA MUNGER q