Wooden Shoes Make Music at Utah State University's Art Museum

The Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, located on the campus of Utah State University in Logan, introduces a new addition to the museum’s collection — wooden shoes that dance midair — and an opportunity to meet the artist who created the exhibit.

On Thursday, Sept. 6, at 7 p.m. in the Performance Hall (adjacent to the museum) on the USU campus, the world-renowned sound sculptor Trimpin will kick off this season’s Caine School of the Arts Visiting Artists Series with a discussion of a new work, Klompen, 120 Dutch wooden clogs that “dance” a different rhythmic pattern each time the sculpture is activated. The artist will show slides of his work during the lecture.

 

Seattle-based Trimpin is a sculptor, musician and composer, most of whose pieces integrate sculpture and music in some way, and many make use of computers to play these instruments. Growing up near the French and Swiss borders in Istein, Germany, Trimpin (who uses only his last name) was the son of a musician who had introduced him to the idea of space as a component of music by playing brass instruments at some distance in the German woods. As a child, Trimpin had access to a variety of old brass instruments and learned to play them, but a skin allergy forced him to give up playing. His interest in technology was sparked at this early age when he began experimenting with the instruments and old radios. Trimpin advanced his studies at the University of Berlin, and went on to invent machines to play every instrument of the orchestra via MIDI (musical instrument digital interface) commands. His mechanical cello can achieve virtually unnoticeable bow changes, and his MIDI timpani can be rubbed quickly by the mallet for a timpani drone unachievable by human hands.

 

The museum’s newly acquired work, Klompen, is a gift from the Marie Eccles Caine Foundation. Trimpin will install it during his September visit. Klompen’s 120 Dutch wooden clogs are connected to a computer by concealed wires and suspended from the ceiling.

“Klompen is one of Trimpin’s most legendary sound installations,” said museum Director Victoria Rowe. “It is a delightful tour de force of the artist’s attention to sight, sound and movement. In this sculpture, a percussive rhythm resonates throughout the gallery as the clogs perform a ‘dance’ triggered by devices placed in their toes.”

 

The art installation is part of the museum’s permanent collection and will be on display for several years.

 

The Trimpin’s lecture Sept. 6 is free and open to the public and is made possible by grants from the Marie Eccles Caine Foundation, The Utah Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

 

The Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art is located on the USU campus at 650 North 1100 East, Logan, Utah, 84322, (435) 797-0163; fax (435) 797-3423. Hours are Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, noon-4 p.m., and closed Sunday and Monday. Admission is free, and the museum is accessible to persons with disabilities. For more information, see the museum’s Web site.

 

Parking for the museum is available in lot C3 to the west of the museum. The parking fee in this area is $6 ($3 will be refunded if parked for two hours or less). Parking is free after 3:45 p.m. and on weekends. Parking is also available in the USU Parking Terrace, located near the Taggart Student Center for $1.50/hour ($7.50/day maximum). Free parking after 2 p.m. is available at lot B, located at the corner of 700 North and 1200 East (by Aggie Ice Cream).

 

 

 

Contact and Writer:  Deborah Banerjee, 435-797-8207