Artwork copyright Bill Buchen and Mary Buchen. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Bill Buchen and Mary Buchen. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Bill Buchen and Mary Buchen. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Bill Buchen and Mary Buchen. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Bill Buchen and Mary Buchen. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Bill Buchen and Mary Buchen. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Big Eyes/Big Ears Science Playground, 1993

Bill Buchen and Mary Buchen
Bill Buchen (American, born 1949); Mary Buchen (American, born 1948)

Location: City of Airway Heights, Airway Heights

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Big Eyes/Big Ears Science Playground is a large-scale installation by artist team Bill Buchen and Mary Buchen. It is located in a public park in the city of Airway Heights, in Eastern Washington. The sculpture invites you to interact with it and have sound-based and visual experiences. It consists of a periscope that overlooks the nearby park, two shallow curved dishes that reflect sound, and a metal drum, all located on a man-made hill. By playing with the sculpture’s parts, you will hear and see unexpected and distorted sounds and angles of the park.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Department of Corrections.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

New York City-based artist team Bill Buchen and Mary Buchen have collaborated for over thirty years to create sound-based installations they define as "Sonic Architecture." As composers and sculptors, they are interested in "the study of acoustic phenomena examined through its applications in science, architecture, ecology, and diverse world cultures."