Ventured up to 59th and 6th at 9:30 this morning to experience Janet Cardiff’s “Her Long Black Hair” with my wife and her friend. There was a huge crowd even though the audio kiosk had not yet arrived. Apparently the principle of scarcity was in action here. It was the last weekend to check out a headset for free and follow Cariff’s journey through south-east Central Park. The experience took about 30 minutes and lead from CPS up to the Bethesda Fountain. Along the way, we heard audio from a CD player and were occasionally instructed to look at one of five location photographs.
I liked the use of recorded sound combined with real world environment. Often the ambient noise would line up with the sound effects on the tape and it was hard to tell what was real and what had been programmed. This enriched the realism of the effects. We all liked walking through the Park in someone else’s footsteps and having a new experience of familiar environment. Rather than being focused on a particular destination, we were forced to stop and start according to the instructions on the tape. Thus, we spent more time in unfamiliar locations and less time in our normal Park routines. For example, we watched the Zoo’s polar bear from a distance through an iron gate, something I’ve never done before, in fact something I hadn’t even been aware that one could do. On the other hand, we sped by the animal clock that is usually one of our required way-stations when we come through here. The experience of giving ourselves over temporarily to another, disembodied voice allowed each of us to notice things that we would have otherwise missed. It seems like that enhanced awareness is often a goal of art, and one Cardiff successfully achieved.
“Her Long Black Hair” is a multimedia piece including five photographs and a binaural audio recording. The photos seemed somewhat staged and contrived. It was interesting to have something to do visually, but none of us felt they added a lot to the piece. The binaural audio gave a strikingly three-dimensional experience of sound. This was a laudable use of advanced technology because it greatly improved the immersive experience. Cardiff’s voice told stories, some of which were vague, and gave directions that were excellent (not an easy task on the confounding pathways of Central Park). She also offered “experiments” that listeners could try, like walking backwards to imagine rewinding time or touching one’s cheek with a moist finger to notice the surprising discomfort that results. I liked the experiments because again they brought us closer to another person’s experience. It’s impressive that making use of the five senses really helps. There’s a deep principle of perceptual embodiment at work here.
All three of us weren’t sure we got the point of the non-linear narrative. Was it supposed to be so abstract? I’m suspicious of any work touted as non-linear because often the device is used to disguise shallow conception. Did the artist worry that their work was too obvious, and then mixed it up so that it would be baffling rather than trite? Besides, the viewer’s time always moves forward and events are always in order. So the experience of art is never really non-linear. It is just ordered differently. The variety of different concepts thrown together reduced the sense of a polished piece. However the experience of walking in someone else’s shoes was still unique, enlightening and worthwhile . I’m glad we went.