Artist Statement
A Sweeter Breath is a wind-reactive sculpture which incorporates the soundscape of the Georgia Piedmont to celebrate our protected landscapes. A Sweeter Breath addresses disappearing ecosystems through the lens of soundscapes. The vines are a visual and audio simulation of a natural ecosystem. The viewer’s attention is drawn to the stimulatory nature of the sound through the presence of the vines, whose movement in the wind corresponds to the volume of the animal orchestra. The sounds which play are drawn from recordings of animals that populate a healthy wetland ecosystem in the Piedmont region of Georgia, where Atlanta is located. The range of sounds and species simply can not survive around the noise pollution of a city, reducing the range of natural sounds we hear. A Sweeter Breath emphasizes the pressing issue of protecting our land and soundscapes from harm, while simultaneously providing a transportive oasis from the tumult of industrial sounds.
Artist Bio
Andrew Catanese earned a BFA in Studio Art at the Sam Fox School of Art & Design at Washington University in St. Louis and is currently working towards an MFA in Art Practice at Stanford University. Catanese’s work includes paintings, sculptures, and installations, as well as a robust mural and public art practice with clients including local governments, major corporations, and private organizations. Growing up in the South and living in Atlanta have profoundly shaped landscapes in Catanese’s work, through which he addresses the intersections of myth, queer identity, and landscape.
Eddie Farr is a tech artist, creative coder, and multi-instrumentalist performer living in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a graduate of Georgia Southern University where he received a B.A. in Music and an M.M. in Music Technology. His interests lie on the synthesis of nature and technology.
Shayne is an Atlanta-based writer, artist, and project manager. She has worked on a number of public projects throughout Atlanta in addition to her solo shows at Parlor Gallery and Hodgepodge Gallery. She graduated at the absolute tiptop of her class from Agnes Scott College in 2020, where she earned her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Telling Folks What to Do. Her role on this project is to handle installation, scheduling, budgeting, and communications.