Fred Thomas and Soma Wingelaar

For Seasons in the Sun's SUMMER residency, Soma Wingelaar constructed a breathing, womb-like environment made from translucent rip-stop parachute material. Connected to dimming lights and a fan that inflated/deflated the bubble, this portable enclosure expanded to fill the whole interior of the gallery. A zipper near the front allowed for entry. Over the course of four days, Fred Thomas recorded eight tracks inside the space.

At their performance on Friday and Saturday night, the audience was invited inside the structure with the artists to create an intimate experience. Soma used a special computer chip to control the volume and ambience of the space while Fred played a live set. At times the room darkened and the bubble's ceiling lowered to the point of slight claustrophobia. At others the soft light lining the floors mixed with the evident sound and current of the fans created a soothing and unsettling effect. The white walls continuously undulated and shifted as Fred played. His spare notes, looped sounds, and improvised wailings made subtle and resistant dialogue with the space.

RIGHT: cd cover image for Boundless/Countless by Soma Wingelaar. If you would like to purchase this recording ($10) please contact the gallery or reach Fred HERE.