Sarah Boothroyd

Sound artist Sarah Boothroyd has described her process as "building" using "…a plurality of sources" and "materials". The evocation of a term used in construction as well as artistic creation is very appropriate. Experiencing the work, a listener has the distinct impression of seeing an environment - an abstract city perhaps, or a sculpture built of clouds - forming in their mind.

Boothroyd creates a variety of work - from short, one minute meditations on a word or vocal gesture to longer pieces that take a more structured approach. From historical deliberations on the nature of time to interpretations of the recent Occupy demonstrations, each piece offers the listener a chance to become enveloped in a world created jointly with the artist.

Technically, the layers of audio combine in a myriad of ways to form the structure of each piece. Each fragment is placed, or woven in a deliberate and skillful process. Sounds are cut, mixed, and layered, faded in and out, and folded upon each other. This framework provided by the artist is filled out and expanded upon by the listener. The result is the creation of a place, an actual place, in the listeners mind. It is a distinctly collaborative experience.

Plug in your headphones, close your eyes, and enjoy these sonic worlds that you and the artist build together. Listen.

click here to listen.

The audio work of Canadian Sarah Boothroyd has been featured by broadcasters, festivals and galleries in over 25 countries. She has won awards from Third Coast International Audio Festival, New York Festivals, the European Broadcasting Union, and La Muse En Circuit. She studied visual art and costume design on her way to a bachelor's degree in philosophy and a master's degree in broadcast journalism. This eclectic background informs her diverse approach to audio work, as she combines a plurality of sources, drawing on the devices and techniques of film, music, literary arts, and theatre. Her website is: sarahboothroyd.com.