ART AT WILL

Christopher Janney 
Architect/Artist/Composer

Located at WRWA Car Rental Center, 5201 S. Meridian Ave. (open to the public)

Funded by the Oklahoma City Airport Trust 1% for art

Sonic Gates: OKC is integrated into the main entrance of the Car Rental Center, immersing those who pass through in an interactive light and sound experience. This is a singular type of permanent public art work yet to be experienced in the Oklahoma City area.

Janney was trained as an architect and as a jazz musician. As an artist he brings the two disciplines together to create unexpected spaces that depend on the viewer’s interaction. For Sonic Gates: OKC, it is the movement of the people walking up to the building, the sliding doors opening for them, and then walking through the vestibule, that creates the unique experience.

The panes of glass that make up the sliding doors have different interlayers of color. As the doors open and close, they layer upon themselves, creating new fields of color. The colors are always changing depending on how many people and at what moment they walk through the vestibule.

At the same time, the soundscapes and the lights are complimenting the colored environment, layering and creating an entirely original event. The soundscapes, original compositions by Janney, consists of instrumental music combined with specific sounds and short readings that evoke interesting aspects of Oklahoma. Janney’s research included an interview with the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Historical Society and delving into the audio archives at the Oklahoma History Center.

“My goal is always to create work that engages people - physically, mentally and emotionally,” said Janney at the art opening for Sonic Gates: OKC. “As people walk up to this building and through the vestibule, they will be bathed in colored shadows, activate lights and trigger authentic Oklahoma-centric soundscapes. For people traveling to and from Oklahoma City, this work helps to center where they are in the world.”