Harmony
With Deaf artist Christopher Sacre
“Harmony provides the framework of music and the structure in sound. Sometimes, combinations of notes are powerful enough to move people to tears…..”
In 2014, Ruth came across an extraordinary art installation by contemporary Deaf artist, Christopher Sacre. Christopher had meticulously poured plaster into 2,000 condoms and allowed it to dry before peeling off the latex and laying it out to display. Each plaster model (which looks somewhat like a lightbulb with a small ‘teat’ at the top) became known as a ‘baby’. The babies were laid out in a way that explored lines, space, and relationships. The teats on the babies gave the installation an interesting angle, as they could depict relationships depending on whether the babies’ teats acknowledged each other or not. When Christopher discontinued the installation, Ruth took some of the babies home to use on her own large score.
Her visual nature has always led Ruth to exploring new ways of depicting different aspects of music. Christopher’s work became the inspiration behind Ruth’s visual depiction of harmony: the relationships between the babies could also be used to explain the relationships between notes.
The ‘kiss’, where the two babies’ teats touch one another, depicts notes playing together in unison.
When the babies have been placed with the two teats facing away from one another this produces a clash, or dissonance.
Placing two babies below and above the musical stave with the teats facing one another depicts a long distance in pitch (known as a wide interval).
Arranging the babies into a perfect cadence gives an established and strong ending, as is so often featured in music. Notice how the direction of the teats progress towards complete harmony as they face in the same direction at the end.
