Low Bottom Sounds

Low Bottom Sounds, was produced at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area, near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Using sand – a material found on the banks of the river – I worked on site to create a stop motion animation. This ephemeral and responsive way of working put me in conversation with the river, a body of water that is characterized by its extreme fluctuations. I used a field recorder to collect ambient sounds, which were then incorporated into a music score by Lucy Dougherty. Animating on-site put the piece in conversation with plein air painting, and also with the weather, where dappled light and windy grasses add layers of motion to the sequence.

2 minutes, 8 seconds
Spring 2024
Sound by Lucy Dougherty