Bass Line

Given the nature of the Apex Music Festival and its purpose in promoting the musical sights and sounds of talented musicians, the environmental sculpture had a footprint reflective of the bass clef with three bamboo chime towers attached to a bamboo spine running along the curved platform.  Along with the three bamboo chimes located in the towers, the bamboo spine holds four bamboo idiophones or sound emitting instruments (guiros, slit/tongue drums, rain sticks, and bong/clatter tubes) that were played by the AMF attendees.  As the sculpture is intended to be an attractor and focal point, colorful teal fabric forms are suspended from the three towers and are repeated along the inside of the bamboo spine structure.  To highlight the sculpture further, these twelve fabric forms were illuminated during the nighttime hours of the festival.

Created to be self-supported and resting on top of both asphalt roadways, the main painted plywood and board structure consists of a curved platform and three circular tower bases (two small and one large) that were all bolted together on site to form the footprint of a bass clef. Running along and attached to the sides of the curved portion is a spine consisting of bamboo culms (alternately spaced) that are crossed in the middle, forming an elongated tent-like structure.  The five spine segments run between the point and the large tower, each segment separating the four idiophone instruments.

Each idiophone was played on both sides, allowing tor a total of eight people to play with the sculpture at one time. The spaces between the bamboo culms allowed for a view inside the arc where six teal colored fabric arches spotlight the form, especially when illuminated at night. Finally, In keeping with the festival color scheme, to hold the bamboo poles in place, and to help spotlight the edges of the form, an orange tube runs along the outside edge of the main curved platform.

Constructed off site and screwed into the round base platforms on site, the three wind chime towers consist of bamboo culms attached to circular metal tubes and rings and cross at the top to form a tepee shape. The large tower has a base diameter of 5 feet and is 25 feet high while the two smaller towers have a base diameter of 2½ feet and are 15 feet high. The tower structures hold the large bamboo wind chimes suspended from one of the rings while each tower displays two teal colored fabric tubes which accent the tepee form and are also illuminated for nighttime viewing.  All twelve teal colored fabric forms are illuminated with 10 LED lamps (spine arcs) and 4 par spotlights (tower tubes).

Constructed as a large-scale bamboo instrument, there are two activities associated with the installation that were enjoyed by both Apex Music Festival and Artsplosure Festival participants. First, the three towers hold large bamboo wind chimes that were activated by areas winds to the enjoyment of each passersby.  Second, besides swinging the bong cords in the three tower to make the bamboo chimes sound, the four idiophone instruments were played to create musical sounds: chatter tubes were slapped against wood blocks; rain sticks were spun to create the sound of rain; tongue drums were beat with drum sticks, and the quiros were scratched with their own sticks.

When retired, Bass Line was modified and installed at the Legacyworks Studio Gardens as a stage and nighttime attraction for the annual four Quarter Days Celebrations hosted by Layne.