White Noise
February 28, 2023
White Noise
I have always been amazed at the audacity of artists — their "willingness to take bold risks” as Oxford Languages defines it.
Knowing my curiosity about all things pertaining to sound, a friend suggested an exhibit he thought I would find intriguing. He was right.
Massachusetts Route 2 west from Lowell to North Adams has the sun at your back in the morning, and the sun at your back for the afternoon return — a lovely way to travel. This September day, the trees are on the cusp of transitioning to full fall foliage, but they are mostly late summer green, and their lushness puts me in a good mood.
The destination for this journey was Massachusetts Museum of Modern Art (Mass MOCA), known for huge spaces that invite large installations. I came to experience Joseph Grigely’s “White Noise.”
The artist and archivist Joseph Grigely was rendered deaf in a childhood accident at age 10. He describes his experience beyond age 10 as “watching the world with the sound turned off.”
But gauging by the writings on the wall, he did more than watch…. He engaged in conversation— apparently many conversations— with lots of people. If he couldn’t hear and they couldn’t sign, there was always the option of scribbled notes on paper. Over the years he collected thousands of scraps of conversations. He first exhibited his ongoing series, Conversations With the Hearing, in the 1990s.
Just as white light contains all the frequencies across the color spectrum, white noise contains all frequencies across the spectrum of sound. At a distance, the density of juxtaposed conversations of White Noise becomes indecipherable wallpaper. Then you step up, take a closer look.
Here were fragments that compelled mysteries, enticed me to imagine gestures that might have accompanied the words, challenged me to acknowledge that there is always more than meets the eye.
Curiosity is off and running. Who are these people?! What prompted the question? Who voiced the statement? What would I say to that? What might Grigely have said?
As I walk about the space and “eavesdrop” on conversations, I am inspired by the ingenuity, imagination, and assertion of connection. The pulsing energy of communication cannot be denied. It challenges me to listen.