In 1981, at
her studio in Brooklyn Ellen Fullman began
developing the 20 meter “Long String Instrument”, in
which rosin-coated fingers brush across dozens of
metallic strings, producing a chorus of minimal
organ-like overtones which has been compared to the
experience of standing inside an enormous grand piano.
A spectrum analysis of the waveform produced reveals
overtones spiked up at even intervals and consistent
levels from the fundamental through the entire range
of hearing.
Fullman’s recent work explores the influence of sympathetic resonance
using notation that choreographs events to occur at locations mapped to
the matrix of nodal points.
Fullman was awarded a Japan/U.S. Friendship Commission/NEA Residency for
Japan (2007); a DAAD Artists-in-Berlin residency (2000-2001), and has
performed in numerous venues and festivals.