Mute Thunder, 2003,
Steel, cement, paper, speakers
Mute Thunder began conceptually as a series of literal doorways. These evolved into arches incorporating the space of the gallery. Ruin-like arches suggest the passage of time. Moving into the arches, the viewer hears Edwin quietly performing his piece, and he or she thereby joins the performance as a participant. The four arches can be seen as a portal, a mirror, a shelter, a beginning, an end. The materials of Mute Thunder, cement, wax and translucent paper, speak of heaviness and light, of water, shadow and reflection; ever-present images in the poems. The arches mutate as they progress, mirroring the transformation within the poems and in our lives.
Excerpt from catalog essay Correspondences: Poetry and Contemporary Art, Hunterdon Museum of Art, 2003
Mute Thunder is a collaborative piece with poet Edwin Torres. Inspired by Torres's suite of poems "Liminal Skin," the installation is both an interactive sculpture, with an aural dimension by Torres, and a site for performance.
Poem:
Tsunami for Open Mouth by Edwin Torres