Art Shanty Projects

Sean Connaughty and Matt Zaun In the Winter of 2005/2006 we built three igloos (known as Bigloos) and an ice amphithe ater as part of Art Shanty Projects 2006. Loosely based on traditional Inuit snow structures,
the shelters were designed as environments for recording and playing back music. Musicians and non-musicians alike got together in this intimate, unique environment and played various cold weather instruments. We considered the project a big success and hope, this year, to pick up where we left off and build an even more refined structure in which we can continue our cold weather sonic experiments and music making. The structure will be built using natural materials (ice/snow) which will dissipate into the lake and leave no detritus behind. Trust that our structure will be safe, comfortable and will endure the fluctuating conditions on the ice.
This year we will further refine our building process using what we learned in our countless hours on the ice during ASP 2006. We will upgrade our audio equipment to operate more efficiently and also incorporate the use of an underwater microphone that we can use to record and monitor the myriad of odd sounds coming from beneath the ice. As we did last year, we will compile a release of our recordings and provide extensive visual documentation of the entire
process.
Programming will be a large focus for us this year. We have already begun making arrange-
ments to have prominent local musicians out for recording sessions in addition to having regular
hours of operation where the general public can come and participate in the recording process
and listen to the sounds from under the lake. We also have plans for a performance towards
the closing of the project that will showcase all the elements of our project. We plan to use the
stipend money largely for “living expenses” so that we can spend the majority of our time out
on the ice interacting with the public and other shanty builders. We are open to collaborations,
spontaneous or otherwise.
We have collaborated on multiple projects including several music releases, video, visual art
and sculpture. We feel that this project will offer a great opportunity for us to continue our col-
laborative efforts and continue to challenge ourselves as artists and musicians. Please see the
following page for more about us and last year’s Bigloo project.