USA

OVERVIEW OF THE CRYSTAL PORTRAIT

Visual and Physical Elements

During Sarah Rothenberg's performance of the Anton Arensky pieces I began sketching in the back of the program notes and visualized the whole project complete and installed. Quartz crystals, up to three feet high, appeared to me as the most natural material to use as a medium for this PORTRAIT since silica is a prime conductor of sound and signals. I visualized the placement of beautifully drafted compositional scores, dance patterns, and dramatic pieces of your classical and contemporary tutors laser-etched directly on the surface of each crystal. These are the teachers who have not only influenced your musical "ear," but also those who have stretched, battered, assaulted, carressed and guided your heart and soul by their artistic endeavors.

Tactile Elements

It then occurred to me that each crystal could transmit vibrations: of the musical piece, of the dance, of the drama. For instance, what if we recorded the sounds of breath and footsteps of particular dancers and transmitted these sounds through the crystal? Then, when a hand is placed on these laser etched images, there is felt a computer generated vibration that exactly and precisely echoes the sounds of the music, breathing, steps and the voices of your mentors; the artists who have shifted your psyche, burned images in your DNA data base, electrified and ignited the creative energy that we sometimes find truly awesome within ourselves.

Theories of the Crystal Project/Portrait

The stone (Stein) crystals provide both a natural encryption specific to the molecular code of crystilline material, plus the vibrations predetermined and affixed digitally producing the tactile rhythms of your specific music, dance and drama pieces. Touching the crystal becomes a unitive experience and in the process, the participant is enhanced with a sense of purpose and clarity. The act is significant and brings a quality of attention by witnessing creativity performed by others and ourselves. This concept is the core of the project and that part which endures and transcends any individual or group detractors. It is the part that seduces, elevates, enhances the human spirit and brings delight and pure joy to the experience.

In terms of math and science, quartz consists of two oxygen atoms which forms a silicon dioxide unit. Groups of these units link together to create a three dimensional latticework of symmetrical uniformity. They are six sided with two sides parallel to one another which reflects the hexagonal structure of pure quartz crystal similar to a beehive. These six sides also correspond to the six major chakras in the trunk and head of the physical body with the point corresponding to the seventh chakra.

Modern physicists have affirmed that all physical form consists in essence, not of matter, but energy. The nature of physical matter is dynamic, kinetic, and dancing. Therefore, everything that exists is an external manifestaion of an energy form, VIBRATION. All crystalline structures are highly organized forms of energy, yet each individual structure has its own vibration or frequency rates. Natural quartz crystals have extremely high and exact rates of vibration that can be manipulated to augment, store, amplify, transfer, transform and focus other rates of vibration.

RK, 1998