Christopher Lee Petit – SITE SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE

Chris Petit Final Blog

Christopher Lee Petit / May 14, 2015May 14, 2015 / Chris Petit

Framing Statement
Our final performance (known as shelved) is an exploration of the history of The Great Central warehouse library. The piece is a representation of the manual labour that occurred within the library. In order to create the performance we will take over the free zone in the library for a full 9-5 day and turn it into a workshop environment. Within this workshop we going to build and construct several shelving units. By doing this we can represent several things such as the labour that took place in the library while it served as a grain warehouse, the labour that went into converting the warehouse into a library while producing one of the most common objects in a library, shelves. Once we had converted this into a workshop area we added another dimension to the performance. By adding microphones the room and offering the public wireless headphones we are able to allow the general public to roam around the library experiencing the sounds that once occurred in the warehouse, in the space it actually happened. This intermedia performance allows for the audience to contrast the history of the library by examining a noisy soundscape which the Great Central Warehouse once was however as soon as the headphones are taken off it becomes a quiet library once more. This intermedia performance is an exploration of the library’s history. From a library to grain warehouse we were able to incorporate subtle and not so subtle aspects of this broad history. This performance can be linked to performances such as Janet Cardiff’s 40 Part motet, Jean Claude and Christo’s wrapping of the Reichstag and Sarah Jane Norman’s Bone Library.

Analysis of Process
When this project was first started we explored the library several times and found a range of spaces within the library which I personally had not previously come across and was unaware existed. These explorations also allowed me to see a lot of the library’s history as a warehouse, throughout the library are steel beams with engravings which show the industry side of the library. This major difference in environment appealed to us as something that has potential to be explored and discover if it would be possible to bring the industry side back into the library through our performance. We floated around different ideas of doing this one which was considered was to convert the library into a workshop situation and wrap the room to turn it into something it is not. By doing this we reflect on Christo and Jeanne Claude’s performance where they wrapped the Reichstag. By doing this they were able to mask the building and then transform it into something it is not. And making a point that at the end of the day it is just a building. This is something that we could explore by covering the room and transforming it into a workshop. It’s turning the room into something it is not designed to be and by doing this we are adding emphasis to the fact that it is just a room and can be used for purposes it is not necessarily designed for.
The workshop idea also allowed us to experiment with the sounds of the library. Whilst doing an exercise in class I created a soundscape on the silent floor of the library and listened carefully to see how quiet it actually was there. This set up the possibility of doing something related to that floor especially since around that entire floor are signs asking us to be quiet, however that’s all it was just signs. We wanted to know what is forcing people to be quiet in this space why we should have to be and who is actually making us be quiet. The difference then became very clear between the warehouse then and the library now and how the space has been adapted for a new function as the area around it had developed. The idea of creating a workshop back in the library suddenly became much more appealing and potentially doing this on the library’s silent floor to create a conflict of times so to speak and allow the sounds of the past to be made in the silent spaces of the present day library.
The more we started to look the more we could start to see divides in the library, divides of the old and the new. We could identify the new additions in a way we had not previously thought about and we began to notice influences on the more recent architecture. We found the a clear difference between the old architecture and the new however they worked well together and nothing looked out of the ordinary. Finding all this inspired us to explore the architecture of the building, the question was how would we do this? We wanted to combine the workshop element with the architecture and the idea that came up was to build and create a model of the library.
By building a model it allowed us to really explore the architecture because we would literally be spending time to build each part of the library. We soon realised we could take this to another level by building the library in sections. We could begin by building it reminiscent of the original architecture by building the library before the recent additions and expansions of the library. We would then follow up by expanding on the model by adding on the parts of the library that were added first.
Utilising the model seemed to be the perfect idea to explore the architecture and the history of the library together and allowed us to utilise the workshop environment at the same time. Our next step as a group was to create a version of the library. We had found a space we believed to have potential on the 3rd floor of the library as it had a small group working room which would keep us out the way of people but had been surrounded by glass meaning people would be able to watch in on us working. The room also had walls which included both recently added and original architecture which allowed for further visual representation of the coming together of these two eras in the library’s history. We decided to build our initial vision out of cardboard so we could keep the noise levels to a minimum and we would be able to get an idea of how we would be able to make this using lightweight materials before using the heavier wood. The model however did not work as we planned we had misjudged the materials we had used and we had been louder than we initially planned resulting in us being spoken to by the library staff and being asked to keep quiet due to other student complaints. After this we decided it would be best to find a more suitable space, which turned out to be the free zone on the ground floor. This space allowed us to maintain many of the same visual element within a much larger space however it too away from the silence contrast. To overcome this obstacle we decided to try and muffle the sound of all the tools and visually represent loud activities attempting to be silent by following library function. Utilising the free zone worked out to be a better space for the project as it allowed us the space we needed.
We then presented our project idea however it was made apparent with our lack of experience the end product would not live up to the projects potential. We decided against the idea of building a model and then decided to build shelving units instead. Building these still allowed for us to utilise all the messages we were trying to portray apart from the architecture. Instead we shifted our focus from the exterior to the interior architecture and what the main point is. Shelves do more than just keep books, they hold data and knowledge and are a key part to the library. They were also more practical for us to construct and we were able to produce more than one. By producing multiple shelves we were able to show how libraries are still expanding and growing bigger as more resources become available.
Once we had decided on what we were building we began the process of designing our end product and we constructed out of cardboard a very simple and easy to construct shelf.

This design required us to use minimal material which meant we were able to produce more of them in one day. Once we had designed our next step was to build one so we sourced some wood and built our first shelf which was a success within its own right, even though it didn’t look the design we were able to see here we went wrong and then we were able to create another which was more successful after we corrected our mistakes.
We were now at a point where we were comfortable with where we were on the shelf itself and so we were able to begin our work on the sound aspect of the performance. Since the performance itself was no longer on any of the main floors of the library we decided to utilise wireless headphones. By using these we were able to allow the sounds to travel through the library despite us being away from any of what would have been original working spaces. We now had to find ways to dull the sound of the tools down however so visually the audience could see us following the library rules of keeping noise to a minimum level. We began by wrapping the hammer with various materials such as dusters, rubbers and sponges and we tried to see what sounded the most muffled to the ear. After installing audacity we were able to measure the decibels of each item and discover that way which was actually the quietest.
Once we had discovered which made the least noise we had to discover which was the most practical to use. Initially the quietest was mixing all 3 together however when the hammer came in contact with the nails the rubber and the sponge both broke eliminating them meaning the best option was to simple use dusters. This however also became impractical as it was not possible to get the force behind the hammer to do anything to the nail and the shape the duster created when it was wrapped around the hammer meant it was difficult to actually hit the nail with the hammers head. We also discover we were not actually able to dull out any other sounds the paint brush was quiet on its own and the sawing didn’t work muffled. Below is a soundscape which features the all the hammers with their respective muffleing.

Once we had gaged the decibel levels through audacity we added the microphones into the project. Once we had added the microphones it we were able to pick up the noise from each tool individually and the decibel level became significantly more sensitive and each noise became much clearer to hear. Utilising the microphones audacity and wireless headphones allowed us to use maximum potential of sound allowing the audience to hear it and be able to witness the sound. Offering this really allowed the contrast between a library and a workshop to be shown. The way we are utilising the sound is similar to how Janet Cardiff used it within her 40 Part Motet. She created her piece by placing microphones in front of each member of an orchestra and the sound is then transmitted to another room full of speaker systems which relay the sound into a live soundscape of the orchestra. In our performance we are also relaying sound through to wireless headphones creating a live soundscape of workshop conditions while focusing microphones on each worker.
Following on from all this we decided to explore the library’s history further. Since the library used to be a grain warehouse we decided to show this by collecting the sawdust which fall from the shelf as it is being created. Inspiration further came from Sarah Jane Norman’s performance of bone library. In this performance she engraves aboriginal words onto bones. By doing this she is giving the bones purpose and treating them as books, the fundamental element on a library. We could utilise this and by collecting labour residue and placing that on the shelf it is giving the shelf a purpose. By collecting data of time taken to create the shelf and recording it on the boxes of saw dust we are able to house data on these shelves, which is a key function of the library, to house and store data. This is also reminiscent of an activity done within the second week where we created our own artist books out of whatever materials we could to show that you can store information any way you feel and it doesn’t necessarily need to be in the traditional words on pages. A book can show data through a collection of pictures or through by a representation of the message you’re trying to get across. This is exactly what collecting the grain was intending to do.
We also felt like showing the manual labour aspect of the library was necessary to include. The fact that the library have very much shifted to mental work as opposed to physical work is apparent. By converting the library into a workshop allows us to represent the physical work that used to take place. We figured we should work an 8 hour working day and include an hour lunch break through the day in order to mirror the average working day. The process was also repetitive by creating the same object multiple time we are able to represent another aspect of the library, the students. While we are performing it will be exam and deadline period for otherstudents. Due to this busy time period students will be going to the library multiple times to find resources and repeating their action by going to the library, doing work, going home then the same routine again the next day.

Performance Evaluation
By adding all this together we are creating a project that could engage the audience on multiple levels and we utilised many different forms of media to create a multimedia and interactive performance which allowed for the audience to achieve everything we intended. We were able to replicate the full working day. From Feedback we received the points we were trying to get across were clear. We also were able to get a variety of different audience members watching for different reasons, some were attracted by the screens projecting the decibels and other just there to have a cigarette taking a look at what was happening. Many of these student when approached were interested in the subject we were addressing and when they discovered the library’s past they were surprised and had no idea it has not always been a library.
Towards the beginning of the piece and after the lunch break the performance felt slow. With there being 3 of us performing but only 1 job needed doing it would take about 10 to 20 minutes to get us all involved in building the shelf because we would have to wait for the wood to be sawed before we could begin the sanding process. I feel like if we had carried on cutting the woo but not began to sand it before lunch we could have all got involved into the production of the shelf quicker and ultimately we could have produced more shelves. I believe one part which we did not allow to shine was showing how we could dull down the tools it became increasing difficult to muffle the tools and so it didn’t really become clear what was being done while we wrapping the hammer in gaffer tape.
Should we do this performance again I would like to try and make difference in sound clearer. I would like to attempt to get a several audacity screens set up monitoring the noise of each floor. By doing this we are able to contrast noise levels further by showing what the noise levels could have been like compared to what they are now. I would also have liked to explore the history further and incorporate some other uses for the building and create other things that would have occurred within the building. I also would have like to utilise some louder heavier tools such as drills and electric saws/sanders and see if it would have been possible to sound proof the roof further in order to use these in a way we could have kept it quiet.
The entire project also allowed me to learn and appreciate the history of the Library. It has taught me about the versatility of the building and allowed me to question what could the Library one day become. It has already become something it was never intended to be so what could it become in 100 years? Will it still be a Library? Will it still be there?

REFERENCES

Spill Festival (2014) Bone Library. [Online] available from http://spillfestival.com/show/bone-library/ [accessed 14 May 2015].

YouTube (2010) Wrapped Reichstag – quickmotion – Christo and Jeanne-Claude. [Online] available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esiErDm62E4 [accessed 14 May 2015].

YouTube (2013) The 40 Part Motet by Janet Cardiff. [Online] available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncWFLzVrwU4 [accessed 14 May 2015].

Christopher Lee Petit / May 14, 2015 / Main Page

EXPLORATION OF LINCOLN
Throughout the first site specific lesson we explored Lincoln to try and discover new places that we might not have been to. We were split into groups then given a list of things we needed to find which ranged from worst place to rough it, to best place to go sledging, best place to see an old couple holding hands and so on. The point in the exercise was to help us see things around us we may not have noticed before and to learn about our city.
This exercise was helpful because it allowed for me to see the city in ways I had not in the past and I feel it did help me increase my observational skills as by looking for items on the list it allowed me to think of places in a way I hadn’t previously thought of. An example of this was when we were able to find an old couple holding hands, this was a task we thought we would find difficult however we were able to find this relatively quickly in a location that we pass on a regular basis.

Exploration of the library
The next few sessions we followed up our exploration of Lincoln by exploring the library where we will be performing. We applied the same sort of practices to this where we search and try to notice rooms/places we had never noticed previously. While exploring I found several rooms such as the Zibby Garnett Library. By searching for these rooms I had to explore parts of the library I hadn’t previously been to. It also allowed for me to learn about some history to the library. By looking at a picture of the library before the extensions were added it allowed us to go outside and see where the extensions were as well as being able to see from the inside where these extensions are.
By going to all of these different places in the library it gave me a better idea of what there is to work with in the library in terms of creating a performance. Another part of our exploration of the library was exploring the sounds within the library. An exercise I did was listening to the sounds of the library. I decided to do this exercise on the 3rd floor of the library (the quiet floor) so that I could see how quiet it really is. Here is everything I heard.
• Fan from the air con
• Pages turning
• People packing their stuff to leave
• Food packets rustling
• Mouse’s clicking
• Printers
• Birds outside
• Chairs creaking
• Sneezing
• Phones going off
• Bottles being crunched
• Paper rustling
• Bags being zipped
• Cars outside
• Train barrier alarm
• Pens clicking
• Train
• Pages turning
• Rain coat movement.
These sounds showed that the 3rd floor isn’t actually as quiet as you would expect. I found that these sounds were quite irritating and annoying. This gave me an idea about possibly doing a performance where I can utilise these sounds in a smaller space where there is one person sat still and then in this confined spaces these sounds are made in a way to irritate.

Library Exploration continued
We continued our exploration of the library by finding a place in the library and drawing it. The place I sat was the food zone. I chose this because it is somewhere in the library I had not been before or even noticed, I had just assumed you could take food to the tables you were on. From there I focused in on the shelving and beams in the library. From doing this I noticed the detail that was around the library and one again I found myself seeing things is had never noticed before. One of these things were the ladders used to reach books on higher shelving. Once again because I had never had to reach anything on a higher shelf I had never thought about how to get these books down.
After we had drawn our section of the library we took somebody else’s drawing and we re-imaged that the picture I took was of a door. The part I focused in on was the door itself. This is because I was interested on what could have been behind this door. This was a no student access area and there are so many parts to the library that I have only just found out about even though it is a place I have been using for nearly 2 years. We then had to digitalise the image and so I took a photo of an open door to express how open doors can lead to new possibilities the same way that an open book can.
Also in this session we watched a video of a town crier called out news however the news was a reflection on social media because the crier was shouting about his dinner and other irrelevant stories. The same as how people on social media post about their dinner and news that no one really cares about. Following this we watched a video of Christo and Jeanne-Claude wrapping the Reichstag in Germany. This symbolised how when something is covered over it can be anything it doesn’t have a main purpose. There is also the feeling that they are blinding parliament to the outside world, a metaphor which is often said. This gave me another idea, could I possibly cover a room in the library with something transforming it into a different place with a different purpose.

Rehearsal on the 3rd floor
On the 17th of March our group was able to book the space on the 3rd floor. We booked the space and began to create a model of the library on a much smaller scale to the one we plan on building in our final piece and out of much lighter materials. This exercise allowed us to gain a rough time gage of how long it took us to build a small section of the library. With that taking us nearly 2 hours we know that building the lager heavier model will probably take more time than the day we originally thought now we believe it will take somewhere between 2 and 3 days.

Presentations
We presented our idea for our project to the library staff and Conan. After we had told them about our idea to turn the library into a workshop and build a model of the library to represent the manual labour activities it got a varying response. The concept works and the idea of turning the library into a workshop was an idea which had a lot of potential to work with. The idea of building a miniature version of the library was not as strong because of the amount of detail and lack of model making experience we as a group had. After brain storming new ideas we landed on the idea of making shelving. This seemed like the most logical choice because they are simple to make, and could also be would be cost effective. The only tools required are a hammer, saw, nails, wood and varnish. This meant we wouldn’t have to get screws, screwdrivers, adhesives and drills as well.
Shelves also seemed a logical choice because they are something that is related to the library and they could somehow be used and stacked to create our own library. The concept has also been able to remain the same and we would be able to monitor the noise levels and attempt to dull the noise of the tool to follow the rules of quiet in the library.

Creating our first shelf
We build our first design out of cardboard and we were able to create something that looked effective and was easily stackable. We also found our dimensions and how wide and deep the shelf would be, this allowed us to figure out how many shelves we would be able to make out of a sheet of wood. And how much we will be spending on wood. We figured that for a £20 sheet we could make us between 20 and 30 shelves.
The next step was building a shelf. We were able to acquire some cut offs of wood and attempt to build our first shelf. This however did not go as well as we first thought. The wood was all cut to a correct size however while assembling the shelf we assembled in in a way that wouldn’t fit together how it should and we ended up with a box as opposed to our design. Another problem we found was the wood splitting this was because the nails we had used were too thick.
This allowed us to get our next shelf correct and we were able to create the shelf to our measurements. One thing we did find a problem with was the shape of the shelf we had a few edged which were not even with each other so we realised we would have to start sanding as well. We found after sawing the amount of dust which came from one shelf. This gave us the idea to jar the saw dust and put them of the finished shelves. This would act as the data that our library would record and store on the shelves, showing the different amounts of dust that came of each shelf.

Sound and Audacity
When we knew about the noise levels we were making with the tools normally we were then able to start applying equipment to soundproof the tools and seeing how the noise levels alter on audacity. Our quietest object so far has been the combination of dusters and sponges. These nearly halved the amount of noise that audacity was picking up, however still sounded loud to the natural ear. We then tried doing this with microphones and adjusting levels on them to create our soundscape. This worked because the combination of sawing and hammering created a sound scape that sounded accurate to workshop conditions through wireless headphones and would nicely remind us of the sounds that would have at one time occurred within the library.

Work in progress
For our work in progress we were able to get the free zone for the morning. While we had this space we were able to find out what would work and what wouldn’t. We felt as a group the work in progress was a success. We were able to accomplish a rough time scale per shelf and were able to get the input of people outside the project and get feedback which was mostly positive. The positive feedback was about the concept and the idea that we have come up with from an artistic standpoint however the negative feedback came from people critiquing our actual skills with the tools and the levels on the mic.
We did encounter problems while we were constructing the shelf. Namely fatigue. We started to feel ourselves getting tired from the sawing the wood and found ourselves changing who sawed on a regular basis. This bought up the idea of possibly including tea breaks in the performance where we can focus a microphone and bring in some other sounds to the performance, while allowing us to pace ourselves and not wear ourselves down.
One thing that did not come across clearly was the soundproofing of the hammer. It wasn’t really made clear what I was doing to it. However what did come across nicely was the slight sound dulling from a sponge and gaffer tape. This is something I would like to follow up on and need to try and highlight more.
The only other issue we came across was us forgetting a few things such as tape measure and spirit level. This did affect our finished product, however despite this I feel confident about the performance. I believe the next step for us is to now create more than one shelf and find new things to put within the space.

Bone Library
Bone Library was performed at Spill festival. It was performance where aboriginal words get carved into bones. The bones then get categorised into alphabetical order. I feel like this could influence our performance. The way she categorises bones could be bought into our piece. We could categorise our shelves by labelling how long it took them to create or by the average noise made by 1 shelf. We could show this by gathering sawdust into a jar and labelling that jar.
By doing this the performance then becomes us gathering data as well as and information as well as representing the manual labour that used to be involved in the warehouse and keeping the noise down to follow library rules. By gathering data we are also able to represent what people do at a library which is to store data in their heads. The time our piece is being performed benefits the data message especially because it is a time where the library will be full of students researching for deadline essays.
Spill Festival (2014) Bone Library. [Online] available from http://spillfestival.com/show/bone-library/ [accessed 28 April 2015].