Oksana Popadiuk

Ways Of Knowing
March 16, 2015

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Uberorgan
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An Analysis of Interactive Art

The sounds and mechanics of Uberorgan create a physically interactive experience for its
spectators. Through this interactive experience, Hawkinsons art creates an opportunity for each
viewer to understand what is familiar to them in a new context. The affect of this is that the
things which are commonly overlooked in their traditional forms become noticeable. Uberorgan
is built to a scale large enough for audiences to walk through, with characteristics such as a light
sensitive keyboard which can be manipulated and controlled with a kind of wooden spoon. By
way of extreme air pressure, Uberorgan emits low, drawn out notes at high volumes from a score
that was also written by Hawkins. When the notes on the light sensitive piano are covered,
blocking that area from receiving the light, the viewer can affect the frequency and rhythm of the
notes played. The volume of the sound and the scale of the structure creates the affect that the
spectator is inside the art, rather than looking at it from an outsiders perspective. These
characteristics make Uberorgan an inclusive experience for its audiences and, arguably, it would
not have the same affect as a piece of art without these aspects.
Uberorgans receptiveness to its surroundings also plays an important role in the affect of
the piece; it is largely dependent on the interaction of its spectators and on the elements of the

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space it inhabits, such as light and air. Since Uberorgan is such an inclusive, interactive and
interdependent piece, the line between the spectators ending and the arts beginning is blurred.
Its a different experience than looking at a painting or sculpture, in which case the art and the
audience are distinguishable from one another; In regards to Uberorgan, you could argue that the
art is not necessarily the structures that Hawkinson built, but the affect of the interaction between
the viewers and a methodical compilation of material. People can relate to the piece on a variety
of levels, making their interaction with the piece even more meaningful. Although abstracted, the
result of the piece is that its continually mimicking human characteristics. For example,
Uberorgans general function is that of something that is constantly reacting to its composed
parts as well as the outer influences of the space encompassing it. This dynamic quality echoes
that of the many occurrences in the days, weeks, months and years that are the makeup of human
life. But more specifically its structural design and mechanics suggest a representation of the
human body; Instrumentally, Uberorgan is designed to act like an organ, but its structure
suggests the idea of anatomical organs. This is important to note because the human body
generally operates similarly to the characteristics of Uberorgan; the ultimate function of the
human body is largely reliant on each inner organ and how they are interdependent on one
another. The human body is also affected by the environment, similar to how Uberorgan is
affected by air pressure and how its spectators manipulate its parts, in the case of the light
sensitive piano.
Although it takes some interoperating, once we see the anatomical suggestions and
similarities in Uberorgan, we see that this is another aspect of the piece that brings itself and
viewers closer. The way in which it does this is by incorporating things that are familiar to us.

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We may not understand the anatomical representations right away, but we are already familiar
with the way our blood pulses through our veins like the the sounds pulsing out of Uberogran, as
well as the similarity in the shapes of the balloons to those of our own organs. In this sense, its
structure alone brings a sense of recognition, like you are walking through your own body, and
makes the viewer more comfortable to interact with the piece.
Familiarity in the abstract form is common in many of Hawkinsons pieces and makes its
way into Uberorgan through the score that was written for the light sensitive piano. The score
was inspired by classical pieces, such as Swan Lake and a verity of hymns that Hawkinson grew
up listening to. Having been jumbled together and gone through a process of manipulation, the
sounds that are emitted in Uberorgan are no longer comparable to their original forms. However,
the underlying familiarity is important even if it is indistinguishable to the listener. Its important
because it reinforces the theme of familiarity already commonly seen in Hawkinsons work.
Familiarity being the component which makes the pieces so approachable to people, and inviting
them to interact.
Hawkinson states that he often uses either himself or something very personal as a jumping
off point when creating his pieces. In one of pieces he uses a picture of his face which can be
mechanically operated to change expressions. Some of which are outrageous and would be
impossible to recreate in real life. Hawkinson stated that this piece was an emoter and was
intended to emote different expressions. In its abstraction, Uberorgan is a kind of emoter of
human anatomical features and functions. The aspect of familiarity is enhanced in his pieces
through his choice of materials as well; he often works with commonly used materials such as tin
foil, plastic wrap, plastic sheets, and in the case of Uberorgan, fishing string. Initially,

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recognizable materials give the viewer something to understand in the piece right away, creating
a sense of comfort and familiarity. This is hugely important in Uberorgan since the affect of the
piece is made so much stronger by its audiences participation and comfort to do so. Secondly, by
putting recognizable household items in a much different context than what we are used to seeing
them in, they become more noticeable. In one of his pieces, Hawkinson uses generic tin buckets
to catch water droplets from a contraption that hangs from the ceiling. In the buckets,
Hawaknson places tin pie pans that act as resonators, making the sound of the dripping water
amplified. In this piece, whats relatable are the pans because they are such a commonly used
material for cooking. However, in this context they have been manipulated in a way that makes
them less comparable to how weve understood them before and are featured as an instrument.
This new function makes the item much more though provoking than in its tradition sense.
What Hawkinson does is manipulate and abstract things by changing their traditional use
and form. In doing so, he brings attention to materials that wouldnt normally be showcased in
these unique ways. In Hawkinsons work, the materials in their new forms tend to become
interpretations of human beings or other forms of life, even if this translation was unintentional
on the artists part. This in turn, brings a general attention and awareness around ourselves and
the affect we have on our environment. Uberorgan achieves this through its ability to produce
sound, its receptiveness to its surroundings, and its inner connectivity and dependence on its
parts and the people manipulating it. These aspects of the piece are all displays of anatomical
functions of our body, as well as an example of how impressionable the human experience can
be.

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References
"SEGMENT: Tim Hawkinson in "Time"" PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.

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