Background to the Bliain le Baisteach project - Sean Taylor

A development within my own work as a visual artist since 1995 has been dealing with annual and natural cycles in nature and time, with the research aspect of the work usually evolving over a twelve month (calendar year) period. Bliain le Baisteach initially started from a personal interest in weather and rainfall patterns, and the patterns used to present the weather in weather forecasting. To this end I approached Met Éireann, the National Meteorological Service, inquiring as to how rainfall data was collected and monitored in Ireland. Having received this information, I then approached Mikael Fernstrom, at the Interaction Design Centre, based in the University of Limerick, as to how feasible it would be to convert rainfall data into a musical/sound composition. After our initial meeting and with a shared interest in the creative relationship between art and science we both agreed to work collaboratively, as well as to formally approach Met Éireann to become part of the rainfall project.

The collected rainfall data from 1999, the last year of the twentieth century was converted into digital information, which was then fed into a neural network trained by a music data base of selected traditional Irish melodies. This information was then converted into a musical score, and shaped into an abstract musical composition with a distinctively traditional Irish flavour.

The final exciting element of this collaboration was The Irish Chamber Orchestra, based at the University of Limerick who undertook the challenge of orchestrating, recording and playing (live) the abstract computer generated composition. A debt of gratitude is due to both John Kelly (Chief Executive) and Fionnuala Hunt (the leader of the Irish Chamber Orchestra), for responding so positively, and creatively to the concept of the project, and the score.

The finished composition will be given as a number of public performances, including a selected show casing at the Irish Pavilion as part of Expo 2000 in Hanover, Germany, in June 2000. There will also be a live World Premier performance of Bliain le Baisteach at the University Concert Hall in Limerick, in September 2000, which will be beamed live over the internet.

Met Éireann also provided us with satellite images of rainfall patterns over Ireland for 1999. These images (1460 images for the year in total) are edited into an animated video art work that is an integral part of the live performance of the work, and also accompanies this music CD-ROM.

Sean Taylor.

This project would have never let the sketchbook without the financial support, trust and encouragement from the following organisations and individuals:
Arts Council of Ireland, Met Éireann, Limerick County Council, National Millennium Committee.

--Bliain le Baisteach's appearance at the Irish Pavilion of EXPO 2000 is kindly sponsored by Minister Kitt, The Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment (Ireland), The Office of Public Works, and facilitated by Orna Hanly Architect.

Special thanks to: The Irish Chamber Orchestra, Donncha O'Maidin, Niall Griffith,
Eoghan Looney, Aidan Kelly, Fiach MacConghail, Anne Murphy, Breege Moynihan,
Gabor Bendek, Jennifer Traynor, Stephen O'Shea, Jurgen Schneider, Michael
Chapman, Pat Campbell, Joan MacKernan, Mona, Annette and Caoimhe, and
most of all the Irish rainfall, for being so predictably consistent during 1999.
Biography:
Born in Cork, Sean Taylor is an artist living and working in Limerick where he is currently Course Director of Sculpture at the Limerick Institute of Technology, School of Art and Design.

Born in Falkenberg, Sweden, Mikael Fernstrom lives and works in Limerick, where he is currently a lecturer and acting Manager for the Interaction Design Centre at the University of Limerick.