CLINTON JAMES SLEEPER | ART - MUSIC - DESIGN - CONTACTAnthropomorphic Forms Will Likely be Afraid of the Dark



Informed by studying science fiction films and “other universes” as described by various
philosophers, this installation was concerned with aspects of popular science fiction,
nostalgia, noise, and finding a personal connection to making work. This was my first
project involving circuitry of any sort, first solder joints, AC current, and the first project
utilizing micro-controllers and programming. The installation combined new skills with
familiar passions like music editing and all of the visual elements interacted with an audio
file created using vinyl samples from the “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” soundtrack.
All movements of the soundtrack were played simultaneously, then tempo and volume were
adjusted to create polyphonic rises and falls that would control when and how much light
was moving through a circuit. The night lights and extension cords reflect an old take on
sci-fi movies and the way that we try to communicate with visitors. There is a feeling of
nostalgia or childlike sentiment to the material and a connection to films like “ET” which had
a particular focus on children and their reactions or ideas about how to talk to strangers.
The piece was the first installed in a new gallery space at the Church Fine Arts building at UNR.