Malin Abrahamsson, Sound Waves, 2017, Plexiglass, stainless steel, and sound, PS 335, Queens
Ocean Waves is a sculpture and sound installation that draws its inspiration from the nearby Jamaica Bay and Atlantic Ocean. Abrahamsson recorded the sound of waves crashing on Rockaway Beach to serve as the foundation for her multi-part installation. In doing so, Ocean Waves aims to bring awareness of the nearby natural world into the school.
The colorful sculpture hanging in the atrium is a three-dimensional interpretation of a digital sound wave taken from Abrahmsson’s recordings. Comprised of 82 diamond-shaped Plexiglas tiles, the sculpture measures 15 feet wide, 6 feet tall, and 4 feet deep. You can view the sculpture from the ground floor in the lobby and at eye level on the second floor. As you walk under or alongside the sculpture, your perspective shifts, creating a wave-like experience, where the panes directly in line with your eye disappear as the panes farthest away from you expand. The light reflecting off the sculpture dances around as you shift perspective, recalling the way light reflects off the surface of the sea.
On the ground floor in the lobby, a speaker is installed behind a stainless steel grille with a blue button below it. When the button is pushed, the speaker plays an 18-second recording of ocean waves. The audio is set at a low volume to create a calming and intimate experience, requiring listeners to lean in to hear the soft sounds of waves rolling onto the shore.