TRANSMISSION ART ARCHIVE

88mc Carrier Wave (FM)

1968
88mc Carrier Wave (FM) (1968) is one of several carrier wave pieces created by artist Robert Barry in the late 1960s. During that time, Barry was moving from minimalist painting and sculpture to exploring the idea of physical space, primarily using materials that were invisible to the eye. In this piece, a radio transmitter built by his electrical engineer father was hidden in the gallery, broadcasting an 88 megacycle carrier wave on the FM band. A receiver in the gallery could pick up the waves as tones varying depending on the strength of the signal and whether there was interference by bodies in the gallery. Documentation of the piece consisted of a photograph of the space in which it was broadcast. The piece is now held by the MoMA in New York City. - Described by Wave Farm Radio Artist Fellow 2020/2021, Jess Speer.