Rita Maas

Lives and works in Somers, NY, USA

Artist statement

Call & Response is a suite of site responsive drawings that map a landscape and observe the passage of time through sound by marking the songs of birds. This project evolved during a period of temporary hearing loss which left me profoundly aware of the sounds that surround me every day. In response, I began a practice of listening meditations that soon led to these drawings. Sitting within various outdoor settings, I attentively listen to the calls and songs of birds in our shared habitat. Using both hands to mirror each ear, I responsively make marks that correspond to what I hear. I do not look at the drawing as it is being made, surrendering composition to chance. Each drawing is made over a prescribed period of time, determining when it is finished. Weather conditions, time, date and place are noted and the birds heard are identified and recorded on the back. Sound is always an intricate part of the landscape as we experience it but rarely is it represented in the visual arts. Switching senses, from sight to sound, the drawings give visual form to my auditory experience. I find sitting within these gardens offers me moments of solace, allowing me to savor quiet moments during a volatile time. The drawings are the tangible records of accumulated fleeting moments that I experienced while there. I find them simultaneously charged with energy, chaotic and unsettled, therefore alive, which is how the world feels to me right now. SALUTATIONS mines an archive of letters...

Artwork