Feeling nostalgic for summer swimming? Stop by the Chilmark library any time through the end of this month for a virtual ocean swim, a unique digital installation by Valerie Sonnenthal.
Bright shimmering water, surface ripples, sun glinting off the sea, raised arms executing a graceful breaststroke, the swimmer’s shadow outlined on the water, the soft plunk of hands cupping the sea, light splashes — all the sights and sounds one enjoys during a relaxing ocean swim can be experienced through a triptych audio and video projection that loops continually in the library’s meeting room.
Ms. Sonnenthal created the installation by strapping a GoPro camera to her head while completing her daily swims five years ago. With the help of an honorarium presented to her by Marianne Goldberg and Pathways Projects Institutes last year, Ms. Sonnenthal was able to create the three-section digital piece from the hours and hours of video she accumulated. Sawyer Klebs served as editor for video and sound. The library is presenting a five-minute loop from the complete work, which is titled “Water Installation: Excerpt for Three Screens.”
The fluid images are projected as a side-to-side trio of video clips. Each segment features a different viewpoint. Two of them present Ms. Sonnenthal’s viewpoint during swims at Long Point. The center panel replicates a walk through the woods to Ice House pond, and also features reflections on the water at Ice House and Seth’s Pond.
The audio is enhanced by music played on a variety of sound healing instruments by Ms. Sonnenthal. A soft splash is followed by a chime; a slight gurgle blends into the reverberations of a plucked string.
All in all, the immersive experience is very soothing. The installation went up at the end of February, and feedback from library patrons has been positive.
“Adults have responded really well,” library director Ebba Hierte said. “The thing that has really impressed me is the response from the children. Older children are intrigued by the mechanism of the creation. One preschooler wanted to know if it was a real mermaid. The kids’ reactions have just been a joy.”
Ms. Sonnenthal hopes to eventually create an even more immersive, three-dimensional piece from the work by projecting each view separately as a wraparound on three walls of a venue, allowing people to visually enter the water with her.
This past winter, a series of the artist’s still images of water were featured as part of Art on the Avenue, hosted by Featherstone Center for the Arts.
In the past, Ms. Sonnenthal has worked in a number of art forms including writing, dance, photography, visual art, and video. A few years back, she presented her “Visual Diary Project,” another video-triptych piece, at the Grange Hall and at Pathways.
The Chilmark and New York City resident has also studied and taught a number of unique proactive self-care modalities including MELT Method, Gyrotonics, and nutritious movement.
Lately Ms. Sonnenthal has delved deeper into her exploration of sound healing instruments: chimes, monochords, Tibetan singing bowls, and kalimba. She will present a “restorative sound-bath experience” at the Chilmark library on Wednesday, May 4.
This project is the first use of the library’s 80-inch flat-panel high-definition monitor, which they acquired last year. Ms. Hierte encourages others to submit video art projects for future installations. She is interested in pieces that are not overly distracting or loud. To have your work considered for display, contact Ebba Hierta at ehierta@clamsnet.org.