Theo Burt
Colour Projections CD-ROM (E80)
Colour Projections is a computer-based audio and video work
creating precise relationships between sound and geometry.
Through a progression of geometric systems, rules are estab-
lished and shapes are created, intersected, combined and
destroyed. Each resulting shape is both drawn and sonified —
a shape’s outline is directly transformed to an audio waveform.
Although the systems use only fixed, stateless geometric
operations, through certain coincidences there is a tendency
to attribute identity to individual shapes and perceive a level
of causality within the systems. We are reminded that these
perceptions are illusive when the geometric behaviour diverges
from our expectations, causing shifts in plurality and
ambiguities of identity.
Theo Burt is a UK-based sound and video artist.
The detailed, diagramatic nature of the video means that this
release can not be encoded to DVD. For maximum quality and
to avoid limiting the video to a fixed resolution, the work is
distributed on a computer-only CD-ROM, compatible with OS X,
Windows, Linux and any other operating system supported by
Adobe Flash Player (version 10 or greater).
Not suitable for playback in standalone CD players. This work
contains low frequencies that may be inaudible on built-in
laptop speakers.
First edition of 300 copies
£8
What a unique, wonderful release! How to describe? Well, it’s
not a music disc per se though sound is decidedly involved
along with visual elements. It’s playable only on your computer,
not in a CD player. You see a small screen with, initially, a gray
background (later blues and a blood red), upon which simple
but very elegant and attractive geometric shapes appear, these
shapes slowly threading their way through the space, often with
lines intersecting. The movement of these shapes and the inter-
section of their line segments trigger a variety of sine waves
or sharper toothed kinds of electronic sounds, usually in clear
and direct response to what’s occurring on screen. This is the
general rule here: sounds appear or change as lines meet and
the shapes that inflate or contract cause similar raising or
lowering of pitch.
Burt plays with your expectations, the kind of pattern associ-
ations you automatically make, subverting them often enough
to prevent one from thinking you have it all understood.
There are several [very] complex patterns that grace the
screen during this work’s 32 minutes, including a particularly
beautiful set of two rectangles floating and rotating in the
space at different speeds and inclinations, barely kissing each
other once and emitting only the tiniest of sounds. The antici-
pation as they near each other is excruciating.
It’s tough to really give a decent idea of what goes on here in
words and, doubtless, there are many who will be bored silly,
but I find it strange and beautiful and can experience it again
and again.
Brian Olewnick at Just outside
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