The Ossining Bicentennial sculpture show just gained a new tour guide, courtesy of Otocast, LLC. Otocast, a local developer of mobile audio guides, volunteered to create an app for the Ossining in 3D exhibit, narrated by the sculptors themselves. Available in the App Store (search for “Ossining in 3D” or “Otocast”) for devices with iOS 6 or 7, the app has 26 guides, one for each of the sculptures in the exhibit.
Many of the artists were excited with the idea of the app, gladly creating recordings that give insight and explanations regarding their art. Leonda Froehlich Finke, who sculpted Woman Seated in the Sun (found near the Ossining Public Library), emphasized that the guide isn’t meant to define what the art is. The observer, she said, should be the one to interpret the art. At 91 years of age and still sculpting, she has had a lot of experience with interpretation. I was able to sit with Leonda in her studio while she made her recording and speak with her afterwards about her feelings regarding the app and her art in general.
When asked about the App, she laughed, remarking that she would need her children to show her how to use it, and that she hoped her art would be inspiring. She also described the process of creating bronze sculptures, saying that “Getting to know your gut feeling about something involves time and not pleasing others…” adding that “A little bit of yourself always creeps into your art. You don’t need to put it there.”
Some of the artists gave explanations of the materials put into their work, how long it took to build, or how large the sculpture is. Others chose to talk about the messages they put into their art or why they chose to make it. One artist even advises you to crumple into a ball any preconceived notions about his sculpture and “…throw [it] as hard as you can in hopes of the ball landing in the Hudson.” While the manner of recording varies with each artist, every sculpture has about 3 minutes of description. Some artists
chose not to make their own recordings, allowing Ann Jon (curator of the show, sculptor, and executive director of SculptureNow, a company devoted to expanding knowledge of sculpture) to speak about the sculpture in their stead, adding information regarding why she chose the pieces. I was able to accompany Jon as she made these recordings, and I received a tour of one of her other shows. She was very enthusiastic about the whole idea, pointing out additional exhibits where it would have been handy. For one piece whose creator is deceased (entitled K-M-G, located behind the Ossining train station), Ossining’s mayor, Bill Hanauer, created a recording, giving the app his full support. It’s important to note that the recordings aren’t merely spoken versions of the artist’s statements; the app contains new information not found anywhere else.
The app also has the ability to track your current location, choosing the best way to get to the nearest sculptures and displaying the entire tour on an interactive map. Photos of the sculptures, as
well as the artists’ statements found on the Ossining Bicentennial Celebration website (www.celebrateossining.com) are also located within the app. Local sponsors are also displayed and given audio descriptions. Hopefully we can expect more of these apps in the future. (Edit: The Ossining in 3d app can be downloaded here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ossining-in-3d/id698234932?mt=8 )
- Observers are instructed by artist Henry Royer to throw preconceived notions into the Hudson.
