Aspects of Trees is one of a series of ongoing projects by Teresa Connors and Andrew Denton that assemble a range of moving image and sonic experiments which records and then responds to changes in the ecology. The subjects of this live hyperimprovisation are the escalating pine beetle epidemics that have decimated forests on the West Coast of North America.

Aspects of Trees seeks to operate in a more poetic or affective register as a tactic for opening up dialogue around anthropogenic climate change. The raw visual and sonic material was collected from locations in New Mexico, Canada and Tasmania. The experiments play with temporal space and spectacle through poly-screen compositions and abstracted moving images. The project embraces the scale and complexity of its subject, as a method of sustained visual and aural inquiry, and as a forensic tool to highlight human impact on the ecology.

The sonic layer is developed using a computer-based instrument constructed in MaxMSP/Jitter which is comprised of a number of generative parameters: motiongram (A. Jensenius), live convolution (A. Harker), 8-part canonic system (K.Essel), scrub granulation (B.Carey), and audio loops. The network as a whole functions as a self-contained hyper-instrument within a carefully designed environment influenced by the theoretical position of cybernetics. Within a live situation, the laptop performer controls the Max patch and in conjunction with the live cello improvisation and visual projections creates a condition for each performer to respond in an evolving collaborative process.

This live improvisation performance of Aspects of Trees, with cellist Charlotte Ketel, took place May 3, 2013 in the Okta Concert series held at Gallagher Concert Chamber.

Aspects of Trees Max/MSP patch