On Monday, April 18th, Alumni Green became a host to Craig Colorusso’s sound installment Sun Boxes. Colorusso’s installment was brought to Plymouth State University through the University’s art department. The twenty boxes comprised of speakers that were completely solar powered and that each played a different, single guitar note. All together the notes played a Bb. These notes were put on a loop and played through a PC board attached to the speakers.
“I have always been fascinated by the way light and sound alter the way we perceive time and space. We organize all experiences in these terms. The motivation behind my musical compositions and installations over the past several years has been the exploration of the conventions that determine the way we experience time and space, and thereby our world. Through my work I’ve come to appreciate light as much as sound,” said Colorusso.
Colorusso got his start in music at a young age with a guitar and the great influence of 1980s punk rock movement. “I used to play in this band called Chinapick and we were really loud and heavy, very few vocals, I played some clarinet and bass clarinet. But then I had this dilemma about improvisation versus composition, so I kind of went down that road and did some improvisional stuff, and then I started to do things, that lead me to want to make sounds, not songs,” said Colorusso.
Colorusso first debuted his installation at the “off the Grid” exhibition held at the Goldwell Museum in Rhyolite, Nevada in June of 2009. Since then he has been “touring” with his installment across the continental US.
“My whole plan is to make work and share it, and the only way I know how to do that is to get it in the van and go on the road. I would say I’m making visual art, or l art, but I am inspired by Henry Rollins, I mean just get in the van.”
PSU Junior and Art Education Major, Katie Cotnoir, spent most of her day on the Green, talking with students and faculty about Sun Boxes. “By having Craig Colorusso here, I realized that Plymouth needs to have installations more often. I had people coming up to me saying that they love seeing this, and that this is something that should happen more.” Cotnoir introduced many students and professors to Colorusso throughout the day and said that he really enjoyed being here.
“It was great to see people talking to the artist, taking pictures, and asking questions. It made me really proud of the community here at PSU,” said Cotnoir.
Colorusso stayed at PSU from 10am to 4pm on Monday, answering questions students and faculty had about his art and how it worked. For footage of the sun boxes at PSU, please visit www.theclockonline.com and hit the “Video” tab.