A Dip in the Lake is an audio-visual installation created as part of Getting Nowhere, a festival and conference at the University of York in November 2012, celebrating the life and work of John Cage. The installation was a realisation of the eponymous text-piece composed by John Cage. The piece was a collaborative work, led by Jon Hughes and implemented by a small team of undergraduate music students at the University of York.
The program note can be found on the link below:
A Dip in the Lake – Program Note
167 locations were identified using chance procedures (a set of dice and a grid system), selected from a blown up map of the city of York. These location were allocated a time on the 24hr clock, again selected using chance procedures. 10 minutes of sound was then recorded at each location. Pictures were also taken, and notes made at each location.
The sounds were then mixed into a 3 hour sound fabric, and played back using an 8 speaker outdoor ambisonic speaker circle. The piece was given a 5 movement form, with each sound’s timing clearly marked on a timeline map that was on display. This can be accessed on the link below:
A Dip in the Lake – Movement Order
Visual material was gathered and presented in a small marquee in the circle, along with a video of the location selection process.
Taking the recordings, travelling to unusual and different parts of the city, was an important part of the process
Jon Hughes 