Inspired by two opposing climates across America’s vast landscape, the uniform abstraction of Stillness perfectly recalls the work of German photographer Andreas Gursky. Ubiquitous for its ambiguity, the works sequential images applied as animation proves hypnotic. Just as Gursky looks for the uniform in nature, Novak generates an impressive chamber of sound, from which to gaze in wonder at the advancing sea. Novak’s gradient sound act as a barometer for the slightest change of detail in the accompanying seascape.
Stillness.Oceanic is an abridged version of a large multichannel audio-visual installation. The sound element was created using a recording of shortwave radio tuned to static in Seattle, precisely because radio waves are affected by both water vapour in the troposphere, and ionization in the upper atmosphere from the sun. The recording contains a unique signature from the atmosphere the waves travelled through.
Similarly, the video elements are made up of photographs taken over the course of many years, fixed on the horizon. These photographs capture a more literal portrait of the climate, and as accumulated elements they are then digitally altered to create an ambiguous abstraction. The resulting work leaves enough of the source imagery to guide the experience and define the location, whilst remaining abstract enough to create an immersive environment for contemplation and reflection.
