Stephen Vitiello

As is the learning curve with many mediums, I have been learning how to edit/produce and record sound. Though I have not created a ‘sound’ piece so to speak, I feel it is inevitable that I will do so. I have always had an interest for working with sound and now that I am learning tools to manipulate/create it, It will only be a matter of time that develop a solid concept for creating sound art. One sound artist that I have been looking to for inspiration is Stephen Vitiello. Born in New York in 1964, Vitiello played in punk and noise bands in the 1980s, before collaborating on projects with the multimedia artist Tony Oursler. In the late 90s, he began to operate as a solo artist and composer of site-specific work. He is most known for his work with the World Trade Center Recordings: Winds after Hurricane Floyd of 1999.

Part of the Vitello's skill is finding the unnoticed - just as the film director zooms in on the eye at the keyhole, or mesmerizes with a slow-motion dripping tap, Vitiello sets his recording equipment to capture the overlooked. In Night Chatter (2006), this piece is composed of an analog synth track that rumbles under natural sounds recorded in the James River State Park and Cypress Bridge Forest, both in Virginia. The artist states, “When I’m out in the field at night recording, there is a feeling of chatter, insect and animal voices that are communicating outside of my translation skills.” The artist was interested in connecting this experience to the concept of "chatter," a term which, since 9-11, often refers to communications picked up by U.S. government surveillance to track potential terrorist threats.

It is said that in some ways Vitiello is also a sculptor - caught up in recording or presenting within three-dimensional spaces. The gallery promises that we will be caught by surprise by a voice or a bird singing. It's probably even more truthful to say he considers four dimensions, as time is another factor.

Another appeal to the work of Stephen Vitiello is the collaborative aspect of his work; he often performs and collaborates constructively on sound pieces with various artists. Having only collaborated once in an improvisational sound installation, I was immediately hooked and hope to create more projects that involve the collaboration of others.

"THE COLLABORATIVE (RECENT) HISTORY OF STEPHEN VITIELLO." Interview by Alex Gibson. Fluid Radio. 10 Apr. 2011. Web. .

Johnston, Lorna. "Stephen Vitiello: The Birds." Time Out Sydney. 11 Aug. 2010. Web.

Scott, Andrea K. "Chime After Chime." The New Yorker 16 Aug. 2010: 1. The New Yorker. Web.

Wands, Bruce. Art of the Digital Age. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2006. Print.