Michael Asher was crucial in the evolution of conceptual, installation art in the late 1960s and 70s. With exhibitions such as ‘Spaces’ at The Museum of Modern Art in 1969 and work at Pomona College in 1970, Asher challenged the perceptions of what constitutes an art object.

 In ‘Spaces’ the auditory experience became the art. Asher modified the existing space by adding two extra walls, acoustically dampening the room, essentially silencing it. Through this minimalist intervention, Asher eliminated a visual division of the space which would occurred with visual/sculptural art, and created an experience of ‘Acoustical Absence’. Through this ‘subtle but invasive refashioning of gallery spaces” Asher highlights the systems that underly perception and emphasise sound as a form of spatial materiality.

Again, at Pomona College, Asher dismantled conventional boundaries by removing the gallery door, allowing the sound of the external world to enter the space. The triangular rooms with a narrow passage in between acted as an amplifier for these sounds, transforming the space into an ‘acoustic funnel’. By using the existing architecture of the space he is challenging both how we define space and our perception of it. 

In my own work, I wish to emphasise not only the sounds of a space, but how material affects the sonic environment. I find the use of sound as a form of spatial materiality incredibly inspiring. This uncovers a possible direction in which I can take my portfolio prototype.