My fascination with fog horns – yes, fog horns – emerged from other hidden artifacts and people that fill our landscape.

Fog horns and other industrial sounds create ambiance – they send messages of alarm or comfort along the water.

While spending a few months this year in the San Francisco Bay area, I heard the foghorns and found them both reassuring and contemplative with their rhythmic lulling, invisible, and visible presence.

Industrial sound is a topic I’ve been exploring lately as I work on one of my upcoming films: how the presence – and absence – of industrial sound played into our lives throughout history, and how modern-day sound (or lack thereof) plays into our lives today.

Read more about it all here: robynmetcalfe.substack.com/subscribe