RADIO ART ARCHIVE
Absolute Value of Noise
Peter Courtemanche. Courtesy of the artist. (Jan 01, 2016)
Solar Radio. Created by Absolute Value of Noise and Anna Friz. (Sep 02, 2022)
Absolute Value of Noise (aka Peter Courtemanche) is a contemporary sound and installation artist from Vancouver. He creates radio, installations, network projects, performances, curatorial projects, and handmade CD editions. His artworks often have a literary basis - inspired by narrative texts and the history of specific installation sites. The artist uses a variety of gadgets - custom turntables, lamp filaments, wire coils, high voltage ionizers, ELF receivers, motors, magnets, rain, wind, and solar-power. Many of his artworks draw attention to phenomena that are typically invisible, or overlooked, within our environment.
He has been using ELF (extremely low frequency) receivers for many years in an ongoing search for interesting sounds that are created by magnetic radiation and the miasma of electro-pollution that exists within urban environments. A number of his outdoor electronic installation works also address questions of radio pollution and radio communication.