Jack-Hammer
Gentle reader, this is Tammy.
I was excited to learn that SFMOMA was building a sculpture garden on its garage roof. I imagined it—an elaborate place where whiskey rivers would meet the charm and class of chocolate fountains, black light paintings, giant sculptures of tiny Hummel figurines, maybe a maze made out of hedges and a Minotaur!?
But, (sigh)—mass destruction is the prelude to constructing such a place. Elaborate scaffolding was established, walls knocked out, construction crews poured cement into kiddie pools, and life-sized Tonka Toy cranes set to the task of heaving port-o-potties to and from the garage roof. Then: enter the Jackhammer.
The Jackhammer greets me every day as I enter the workplace. At night I imagine its terrible drill, just above my head. I try tuning it out. But it is impossible.
So, why not have a little fun with it? Exhibitions Technical Manager Steve Dye and I went out and made some field recordings of The Jackhammer. And then I added a dash of metal.
Take a listen.
Jackhammer as musical instrument. Blasted Jack-Hammer.
Comments (7)
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Andrew says:
April 28, 2008 at 4:09 pm
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Suzanne says:
April 25, 2008 at 2:54 pm
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Taylor Brady says:
April 25, 2008 at 2:41 pm
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Suzanne says:
April 24, 2008 at 4:23 pm
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Andrew says:
April 24, 2008 at 3:24 pm
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adam c. says:
April 24, 2008 at 3:48 am
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Pelin says:
April 23, 2008 at 10:47 pm
See all responses (7)Suzanne! Dan Graham! You did it! I owe you a Gray’s Papaya hot dog from 1989. Thank you!
taylor, can you post a link somewhere? i’d love to hear those.
Odd coincidence — I work across Minna from the demo/construction project, and have been making my own (very lo-fi) field recordings. When it’s not ringing out at 90dB as you arrive at work, the Jackhammer is actually quite beautiful.
Andrew….does this look familiar?
Rooftop sculpture gardens are a good call. I have fond memories of being a li’l guy — 10 years old, maybe — on the roof of — could it have been the DIA center? MOMA? and there was a — was it Robert Irwin? It was a large –plexiglass? plastic? it was see-through, slightly tinted plasticy curved sheet — through which you could see the city. Like a giant, steel-framed prescription sunglass lens. I remember being unimpressed — maybe I was eleven — because the effect wasn’t that dramatic. It didn’t really warp the view of the city that dramatically. Just tweaked it a little. I was coming from a framework of — Transformers. Robots in disguise. I wanted things turned upside down. Do you think this could’ve been robert irwin?
Here’s a good Ozzy minus jackhammer.
so rad.
“and then I added a dash of metal.” Sounds like Ozzy meets Julia Childs. When life gives you jackhammers… you keep rockin in the free world Tammy.