ON SOUND ART
ARTIST STATEMENT: Sara Landeau
Sara Landeau is a guitarist and sound artist whose work is brashly experimental and multidisciplinary, spanning the gamut from unorthodox solo guitar compositions to whimsical bespoke “instruments”/sound installations that combine cheap electronics, mundane objects, and electroconductive materials (fabric, paint, etc.).
A primary theme of Sara’s work is the role of contrast in music—how, for example, noise and melody or loudness and softness might interact in a given piece and across various genres. Also, her music explores long-standing yet decidedly unstable notions of what defines a feminine sound (quiet, slow, soothing, etc.) or a masculine sound (loud, fast, distorted, etc.); and how these stereotypes of texture and timbre are ripe for subversion (or at least a sustained examination).
The instruments Sara builds are visually arresting creations made from fabric, wire, electroconductive thread and paint, tea towels, and a host of other diverse, easily sourced materials. These homemade synthesizers are potent vehicles for presenting contrast among ideas of gendered sound, such as delicate interfaces/components (doilies, flowers, and other objects coded as “feminine”) that produce harsh, dissonant sounds (metal pipes, amp feedback). They also showcase Sara’s wit and collective/D.I.Y. spirit—anyone can play these instruments to some degree, and they’re typically presented in a venue that encourages audience participation.
Sara’s guitar compositions expand the instrument’s limitations with pedals and prepared guitars, among other deviations from the basic instrument; and sometimes incorporate such unlikely instruments as dog toys, hair spray, and a sewing machine—which resonate in ways no standard musical device ever could. The hairspray, for example, is associated with Sara’s youth, and the defiant punk look that was part of her identity. Some of the contrasts that mark her compositions include pairing classic fingerpicking with the acute use of pedals or playing intricate figures against immersive soundscapes.
Sara Landeau has forged a distinctive musical vision, built on a foundation of technical skill, broad experience, and sheer ingenuity; which has led to her uniquely eclectic and ever-expanding achievements.
For Full Soundcloud Music from Sara Landeau: https://on.soundcloud.com/pLvU2VRML2tVfsq46
Midsommer Synth
Synth Instrument inspired by the bucolic-horror film "Midsommer" flowers, doily, fabric, wire, electroconductive thread, arduino, synthesized sounds made in Max MSP.
Fabric Soft Synth & Drum Machine.
The controllers and sensor are embedded into fabric. The glitch-prone nature of the electronic embroideries reference the DIY character of e-textile experimentation. The five notes to the motif of Kraftwerk’s Trans Euro Express were programmed for the keys. Due to the uncertain nature and glitches of the material, it is impossible to play that riff in time, so I imagine this as an instrument to “remix” and experiment with it.
Feminist Jukebox
Electroconductive paint, tea towels, Arduino, mp3s of obscure women composers. Interactive installation. Detail. The intrinsic aspect of this work is the contradiction created between the “soft” interfaces of the embroidered instrument and the loud and immersive soundscape they produce.
All songs by women composers and musicians.
Sound Painting Tactile Instrument.
Canvases contain electroconductive paint. Sounds include notes, feedback, jackhammers, distortion, and industrial sounds.
Artists Statement Sara Landeau 2024 (pdf)
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