I have chosen a new piece from an artist I have studied before. The artist is Christopher Janney and his latest work is called “Harmonic Convergence”. His work is architecturally based and usually very public. The newest piece is set in an airport, as a remodel of a walkway in the Miami International Airport.

The Piece Itself
The piece is a colorful exhibit of stained glass across a stretch of white based interior. This visual allows the exterior light to project a flowing mixture of color across the area. To add excitement to the ambiance the window panes were installed at 45 degree angles to match the crossed beam structure across the walkway. Janney creates a separate atmosphere during day and night times by having the light source switch from natural lighting from the sun to LED lights after dark. The installed lighting is set to change by a computer program hooked to activity sensors so that lighting will produce different moods as the movement level changes in the room.
However, the work adds a more interactive element through its auditory effects. What Janney has put together begins with a sequence of speakers across the room that produces a composition of sounds from tropical birds, the surrounding Everglades and indigenous music in Florida. The mixture of tones across the way changes according to the activity in the walkway. Using video sensors on either end of the crossway Janney allows the sound to continually change on its own throughout the day making each experience a new one.
I summarize “Harmonic Convergence” as a convergence in several ways. The walkway is a symbol for connecting different parts of the airport while bringing the sounds of the nature indoors. Also, the windows matche the original ‘x’ structure of interior beams and light the room with a kaleidoscopic of colors. But most importantly it shows Janney’s convergence of his passion for musical art and his education in architecture. His combinations are good, but acknowledging his older work forms a dusty residue over his mimicking design.

My Critique
This work is inside the Miami International Airport and it replicates his design in another section of the airport. That detail is fair and understandable; however, the use of this type of set up is similar to his creation inside of another airport. The Rainbow Cove that connects the parking lots at Logan International airport in Boston is also a layout using mixture of colorful window panes and indigenous nature sounds. Even though I find it a simple repeat of a previous work that is not the only reason I hold a bit of a disregard for the idea.
Applying nature noises and other Florida native audio is very nice and definitely can set a good mood for entering into the humid heat. This impression it gives is great and the idea is that it should never get old because the composition of different elements may never be repeated. But nowhere was there a check for if the generated sound will actually mesh into a soothing whole. I know flutes and birds sound good separately, yet I feel that some mixtures of screeching creatures and timed melodies may produce an ear ache to such a beautiful delight.

Additional
More info can be found at his own website
http://janneysound.com/urban-musical-instruments/harmonic-convergence/
Janney does many other works using the same use of sensors controlling the ambiance of the area he is given. Almost every project uses musical elements and is made so that the participants are moving.