For sometime now I’ve been contemplating how best to exhibit the work in my EAR1 project. To generate this work, I travel to beautiful and remote places. I hike out alone with sculpture, audio, and video equipment in tow. I listen, observe, record, perform, and photograph the place I’m in. It is challenging work ranging from extreme heat and cold, yet it is always inspiring and meditative. Each time I go exploring, I discover harmonies between myself and these places that I did not know existed. By actively listening and observing, my reverence for these environments grows along with my ability to move in concert with them.

I often feel as though “I’m done” when I get back to the studio. The day after my field-work I begin sifting through the gigs of sound, images, and video I collected. It is instantly apparent to me that the “documentation” of these exploratory journeys pales in comparison to my first hand experience in those places. It is impossible to holistically recreate, the wonderment experienced in these environments. Although I continuously experiment with various ways to share my art through various media, I am also experimenting how to share the direct experience of exploring environment by actively listening to it real time.

Shaunna Foster, a Las Cruces artists, hiking guide, and co-partner of West End Art Depot, allowed me to tag along on her group hike she led on December 19th. Fourteen hikers and myself ascended Picacho for a remote exhibition of the EAR1 VIO Station. The mile and a half hike took about an hour to reach the summit at an elevation around 5000 feet. At the top I assembled the EAR1 Remote Station VIO Sculpture, hit record on the Edirol, then I welcomed everyone to “Picacho Peak Gallery”. I gave a short artist talk, and answered question. Everyone took turns listening to the peak environment. The view, wind and sound created amazing harmonies for us to,  look at, listen to, and contemplate. Thank you all in attendance for a great ecological art experience.