Here it is at last: my edition of 150 printed circuit boards and associated components, “Pretty Bird ver. CC,” 2019. This multiple was commissioned by Creative Capital for their 20th summer retreat celebration. I designed the artistic circuit using discrete hardware to generate waveforms from a 12 volt DC power supply, visible as blinking LEDs and audible through an 8 ohm speaker. Under the right lighting conditions, the sound is reminiscent of “pretty bird,” a song of the Carolia wren. There are no audio recordings or software algorithms involved in this effect — it’s entirely analog electronic. In the upper left corner of the circuit is a light-dependent resistor that affects the frequency of a negator oscillator, as I demonstrate in the video by changing the ambient light. It’s fascinating to me that a small quantity of common transistors, resistors, capacitors, and diodes can create vibrations that are so life-like. Similarity or simulacrum? The spark of life.
Pretty Bird ver. CC 2019 /
This edition of 150 circuit boards with associated components was commissioned by Creative Capital for their 20th summer retreat celebration. Creative Capital financed the materials and I donated my time to realize this project. The circuit boards were manufactured by PCBWay in Shenzhen, China according to my specifications. The circuit contains discrete hardware that generates oscillations, as experienced by blinking LEDs and a chirping sound reminiscent of a Carolina wren's "pretty bird" song. In the upper left corner, there is a light-dependent resistor that affects the chirp quality by changing the frequency at which a negistor oscillates. No software or audio recordings are involved in these electronic effects.