David Rokeby

David Rokeby was born in Canada in 1960. He has been creating interactive sound and video installations with computers since 1982. For the first part of his career he focussed on interactive pieces that directly engage the human body, or that involve artificial perception systems. In the last decade, his practice has expanded to included video, kinetic and static sculpture. Several of his works have addressed issues of digital surveillance. Other works engage in a critical examination of the differences between human and artificial intelligence. David Rokeby's installations have been exhibited extensively in the Americas, Europe and Asia.

One of Rokeby's most interesting pieces to me was "Long Wave". "Long wave" is a site specific installation that was commissioned by Luminato, Toronto Festival of Arts + Creativity and was on view at the Allen Lambert Galleria, Brookfield Place, Toronto, June 5 - 20, 2009. It is a 380 foot long, 60 foot high sculpture tracing a helix through the entire length of the galleria. The helix is constructed from 63 large red spheres hanging from the Santiago Calatrava designed arches of the galleria, rising from just above visitors' heads right up to the vaults of the ceiling.

The "Long Wave" represents sound waves- which are normally invisible. It is interesting to note that something such a sound wave that plays such a large part in our lives is often overlooked. Rokeby challenges this by creating "Long Wave" to show how great an impact sound waves have our lives. The wave hangs above the visitors head- sort of looming there- uncontrollable and unpredictable. The "Long Wave" almost looks like the back bone to an animal, this be a metaphor inferring that sound waves are the back bone to society. I love the color red that Rokeby chooses. It has such a presence and many different meanings. Sometimes the color red can be violent.. other times it can represent freedom and hope. This also plays into how sound can affect society based on what the sounds are. For instance the sound of war may ensue fright while the sound of a sweet lullaby could cause peace and happiness.