Sharing the time of talk

The whistle draws attention to the signal | 2024 | Work in progress, painted objects

Looking back to the group exhibition Through Line, curated by Adam Garratt, which ran 14 July to 3 August 2024 at Maltings Taphouse Gallery, Newton Abbot.

The whistle draws attention to the signal was a site-specific piece inspired by the Belgian philosopher of science Vinciane Despret and her observations on pausing and listening in birdsong. Referencing bioacoustician Bernie Krause, she says that birds are ‘sharing the time of talk'. She suggests they use territory as a pretext for making song and may sing to create ties with neighbours rather than to ward them off.

 

Megan Calver and I drew on imagery from bird identification and railway signalling manuals to reimagine human-avian interactions in the local environment. We set out to make tools for coordinating sound and movement, seeing parallels in train signalling and dispatch systems, and also the rules of sport. Our collection of objects - including bats and whistles - offered the potential for performance or play and were designed to invite reflection on ideas of joining in and taking turns.

Placed in the vast space of the Maltings Taphouse Gallery, they included symbols for the herring gull, feral pigeon, blackbird and pied wagtail - all spotted around the station when preparing for the show. There are also references to the old-fashioned 'distant' and 'home' trackside warning signals.

Some of these objects were presented close to hand, ready to put into play, and some far away across the deep, dark depths of the warehouse space. During the private view, Megan and I did a series of call-and-response tweets from our own two whistles.