Britney Jane Christine Saywell
Whistling River
Might we revive the sensations of a lost sound, dead on the riverbed?
Material: Collected from the coastal wetlands along the Tuuranga Creek located in Whitford, East Auckland, New Zealand: Clay at various stages of heat engagement, silt, shell/ calcium dust under heat processes, and salt water. Found decaying wood, Toetoe, Glass wort, Tussock grass, and reeds. Shell and clay dust from previous installations. Four contact prints: paper and ink. Twine and a Scrim contact print
Over the last two years, I have built an iterative making process in relationship with East Auckland coastal wetlands. I move between my present experience toward the memories held in this Aotearoa wetland. This latest installation ‘Whistling River,’ November 2023, maps sound marks within the wetland. Arousing the sounds that sit behind our ears. A fluid mapping unveils the experience of a soundscape. Notice an abstracted clef, multiple brackets, and the ledger lines settled across the floor. The abnormal seven-leger lines nod to tidal sequences. Centered in this sound map is the Tuuranga River.
I engage with alternative recording methods to reimagine a site. Concerned for my audience and my material. I seek to facilitate space for memories to interact. Empowering the animacy that all humans and inhuman life carry.
Might we revive the sensations of a lost sound, dead on the riverbed?
