Review: Camille Norment, "Untitled (red flame)"

Dec 6

Dec 6 Review: Camille Norment, "Untitled (red flame)"

Haunting in its simplistic glory, Camille Norment’s newest work “Untitled (red flame)” is a must-see.

The exhibition room is dark, save for a corner that’s faintly illuminated red. There is a trio of red megaphones in the center of the room whose hums make the floor faintly shake. At its base is a red light that gives the megaphones an eerie glow. All around are sounds of fire - crackling, snapping, the low hum of anticipation and fear, the dull roar of a burn. I can almost feel the heat of the flame on my skin. Standing there, I am suspended in a moment of both nothingness and action. This is “Untitled (red flame)” an immersive sound-based installation by Camille Norment.

A US-born sound artist currently based in Oslo, Norment’s work combines sonic and visual elements into an immersive and compelling installation. Here, Norment uses fire and speech to explore issues such as community, autonomy, remembering the past, and moving forward.

Norment uses fire and speech to explore issues such as community, autonomy, remembering the past, and moving forward.

At the Artist Tour on November 15, 2019, Norment talked about her inspirations in creating the work, which range from church bells in French towns to the feedback sound of a room. For example, Norment took inspiration from the town bell, which appears as a low hum in the installation, as a sign of unity, protest, and warning. Likewise, Norment, citing influential sound artists from the 60s, saw the continuing feedback loop in the exhibit as a reflection of moving backward in order to move forward, a moment of evolution amidst revolution. She also went into detail about the process of creating the installation, which uses sounds taken from locals in the South Side and were manipulated into creating fire-like sounds. A reflection of agency and autonomy, these voices appear as the fire-like sounds that envelope the exhibit.