Acts of Inscribing

‘Acts of Inscribing’ was inspired by the former BBC Radio Sound Effects Store, an old room up in the eaves of Broadcasting House, and features sounds made by objects located in the store. This sound piece, created from objects in the old sound effects store, aimed to discover if the foregrounding of ‘sound effects’, normally heard in the background supporting role within narrative radio plays, aid the examination of the evocative power of such effects. The work was commissioned by the BBC and Modus Operandi Art Consultants.

Furlong, producer of Audio Arts for some 30 years, has used primary and incidental extracts made from recordings of objects in the sound or spot effects store which as part of the major re-development was soon to be lost for ever.

A photographic image (taken by the artist) of the sound or spot effects store at the old BBC Broadcasting House was enlarged using inkjet printing on front light vinyl 22 metres high X 15.4 metres wide and was installed to completely cover the prow of the iconic building. Furlong recorded a selection of objects in the store ranging from buzzers, drums, whistles, bells, bottles kettle whistles, household equipment, straps, telephone, tins, toys etc. Each of the objects, previously used as sound effects in BBC radio productions, were recorded by the artist, and constructed sound sequences developed, which were heard on eight loud speakers installed at street level around the base of the building in Portland Square.

A related commission and sound work entitled ‘Burnt Cakes’ was produced as part of the BBC’s educational and outreach programme working with a school nearby. Reviews were published in New Statesman (Cork); Independent on Sunday (Hanks); and featured in Ariel, the BBC magazine.

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressre...
• http://www.wimbledon.arts.ac.uk/35276.ht...