Annette Kelm Helmholtz Sirene, 2017
Helmholtz Sirene depicts a Helmholtz siren in the center of the image, surrounded by four large monstera leaves, some of which rest on the siren but do not cover it. A soft green gradient forms the background.
The image creates a contrast between the lush green leaves and the antiquated scientific instrument whose function is not immediately accessible without being named in the work’s title. Named for its inventor, the German physicist and physician Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz (1821 – 1894) whose studies into the physics and physiology of perception were particularly influential for theories of visual perception, especially of color, and acoustics. The siren was part of his research into sound and shows the effects of pure tones produced simultaneously by pressurized air, including interference and combination tones.
Scientific tools and musical instruments are a recurring motif in Kelm’s work (see for example, Frying Pan, 2007 or The Seiler Meteorit Piano 116, 2007). The irony of depicting sound-producing objects in photographic form make the genre of still life a literal condition.
More context on the instrument:
A Helmholtz siren consists of two wide brass cylindrical chambers, one above the other, each covered with a rotating perforated disk and supported in a brass and iron framework set on a wooden base. To the top of the top cylinder and the bottom of the lower cylinder are affixed angled pipes. The two chambers are connected to one another at their centers by a steel rod. On the sides of each cylinder are four brass knobs affixed to rods that may be pulled in and out. Between these two chambers is brass case with two dials on the front, each connected to a gear in the back. A set of interlocked gears on the top of the upper cylinder is attached to a small handle on the top of the framework.