Jesse Austin-Stewart. Juried Artist
SAE
SAE
Artist Statement
Spatial Vibrations is a physical interface that one rests their arm on, feeling vibrations from different points. Spatial Vibrations uses haptic spatialization to break down barriers of participation in spatial music for hard of hearing and d/Deaf audiences, encouraging a more diverse and inclusive field.
Haptic spatialization is a spatial music experience through physical touch. It is the spatialization of vibrations across the body in a musical pattern. Spatial Vibrations is an instrument with four surface transducers that a person rests their arm on. The transducers vibrate separate from one another, where the participant feels the vibrations at different positions on their arm. The transducers vibrate in a musical pattern and add a musical context to the work given their common use in other music/sound making contexts.
This work was developed in collaboration with musicians from the hard of hearing and d/Deaf community.
About the artists
Jesse Austin-Stewart (he/him) is a composer, sound artist, producer, and academic based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand. He is currently a lecturer at Massey University in the School of Music and Creative Media Production Te Rewa o Puanga.
As a sound artist, Jesse creates works that explore ways to make the field of spatial audio more inclusive. This creative practice often explores the intersection of spatial audio and disability and hearing, while also acknowledging barriers of finance and education. He has written works for contemporary dance and film and composed and curated performance art works and sound installations, among other works which have been exhibited in Aotearoa New Zealand, Japan, Australia, Czech Republic, Greece, Sweden, and France.
As a producer and audio engineer, he has recorded work for short films, orchestra, solo artists and bands, small ensemble, opera, and various other configurations. Jesse’s songwriting and production work has received over 2,50,000 streams online and has been award nominated.
As a disabled person, accessibility is core to Jesse’s work and his artistic curation.
Credits: Jesse Austin-Stewart