I presented this painted black gloss shape on black matte wall at a recent studio critique. It was accompanied by this sound piece, played through a powerful stereo:
It was sufficiently loud that it caused objects within the room to vibrate.
The group discussion read the combination of sound and visuals as being oppressive and ominous, combining to create an atmosphere suggestive of religious cult rituals or sinister political gatherings.
It was felt that the work presented in this crit represents a departure from previous work. The black gloss symbol has nothing of the organic, gentle feel of the pencil drawings. It is extremely assertive and dogmatic; very oppositional and uncompromising in every way, to the point of feeling threatening. It suggests none of the time based creative process of the pencil drawing.
I am gradually assessing where I go from here. The shape is just an arrangement of painted lines, although I can understand why it was interpreted in these ways. I do feel that playing with sound and visuals with a certain charge and potency has potential, though I want to find ways to puncture the pomposity these signifiers carry, to promote recognition of their ultimate absurdity.
John Macormac 
I listened before I read and what I heard sounded to me as if there was construction, or deconstruction, going on in another part of a very large empty building . . . and this made me see the symbol in a different way from your critique group. I wondered about solid walls keeping people apart, about the materials used in building factories . . . it sounded more industrial to me, not necessarily ominous. I guess I was bringing to the installation what I have lived and where I am now . . . which is what you need to look out to figure out where you’re going.
Thank you very much for another thoughtful comment. Yes, there is definitely an industrial feel to the sound, it is the slowed down sound of drawing, mixed with ambient noise of traffic, an overhead projector fan and footsteps in my studio. I added digital effects of delay and reverb. I’m interested in the manipulation of sound beyond easy recognition, it seems somehow richer
It sounds warlike, full of harsh sounds that could be the rumble of tanks and the crash of demolished buildings. That added to the militaristic graphic makes the piece dark and unyielding.
Thank you for this perspective, I agree that there is an unintended militaristic feel or charge to this piece. I’m seeking ways to undermine this, repetition or interlocking of the shape gives it a less threatening feel, the impact is different when it becomes a component in a network.