research: Llyn Penninsula, North Wales Winter 1997. London Winter
1997
performance: Union Chapel Islington, March 1997. Chapter Art Centre,
Cardiff, May 1997 (as part of the Welsh Independent Dance Festival).
materials: lights, found objects, DAT, microphone, sound processing
(Electroharmonix Bigmuff, spring reverb, digital reverb), amplification
duration: c. 20-25 minutes
salt (halen) developed from daily walks along the north coastline of
the llyn peninsula, near Whitehead’s home, during the winter of 1996/
97. Materials, sound and images were gathered from the sea. A remote collaboration
was developed by post, Whitehead sending Oliver raw sound recorded on
these walks, which was then selected , condensed and assembled as a number
of iconic maps, to be treated live in performance. Whitehead developed
simple choreographic scores from these walks and the sensory experiences
of sea weather, actions were developed from working with a large sheet
of found aluminium flotsam and hand held lights. Physical, object and
sonic strands were brought together in performance, a kind of composite
landscape constructed and animated live, kinetic details lit with fluorescent
lights and framed in darkness.
salt was the first of a series of short works continuing with folc-land