Cal Fish and
Becca Rodriguez.
Photograph by Phil Lehans
Artist in Residence at Napeague
Medium: Multidisciplinary
Year: Ongoing
Cal Fish and Becca Rodriguez' work is centered on listening, recording, and ecological interpretation. In Napeague, they treated sound as a primary research method, using sensitive microphones to capture layered soundscapes of oral histories, wind, water, birds, distant road traffic, and the shifting presence of wetlands and dunes. Rather than a single documentation, their practice emphasized repetition—going back to the same points over time to register change, absence, and seasonal variation. What was missing from the recordings became as important as what was present, shaping an understanding of ecological transformation and subtle environmental pressure.
Together, Cal and Becca expanded the idea of mapping Napeague beyond cartography into a multisensory archive. The sound map was paired with foraged plant material turned into pigment and paper, creating tactile interfaces, and interactive installations allowed listeners to move through recordings spatially. Their approach positioned Napeague not as a static site but as an evolving ecological field where listening becomes both scientific observation and emotional engagement with place.
In Napeague, they treated sound as a primary research method, using sensitive microphones to capture layered soundscapes of oral histories, wind, water, birds, distant road traffic, and the shifting presence of wetlands and dunes.
Photograph by Phil Lehans
