Where now?

After a second tutorial with Kasper and Edwin, I have decided to write a post to clarify to myself possible areas of research and direction. So my initial fascination was a dynamic relationship between image and sound... My research has lead me to human perception and the senses. I spoke of my 'cosmic' experience and my view of the universe to my teachers, Kasper suggested that I try and explore the experience in terms of my senses and see where it leads me. He also said that if I wanted to present the experience or try and extend the senses in the form of an artwork, I could either go in one of two ways: present an overwhelming display including all senses at the risk of it becoming a circus, or focus in on one sense (maybe two?).

Edwin read my last posts and is keen for me to start doing some artistic experimentation very soon. He summed up our conversation and my blog entries with a few areas.... and from his summary I have edited some areas to focus on: 1) The theory that the universe is linked, or extend on what I meant my the universe as a superorganism. 2) My own experience in relation to my theory of the universe. 3) Possible ways of artistically presenting the universe beyond our own senses- possibly start with the electromagnetic spectrum.

I am quite interested in the theory that our ideas of the universe or just life in general is completely masked by our own experience and influences, and this probably occurs by chance. What makes this interesting is that communication technology and the media completely bombards us with information all the time and does this blur our judgement.

First Thoughts

I recently enrolled on a course called Artscience on Seti, which is loosely researching into thinking creatively about using language to communicate with aliens/extra terrestrials. When asked why I had enrolled I replied saying it was because.... well firstly I am curious about the universe and secondly because the language aspect reminded me of a line from a track by Incubus called New Skin reading 'Until the twentieth century, reality was everything humans could touch, smell, see and hear. Since the initial publication of the chartered electromagnetic spectrum, what humans could touch, smell, see and hear is less than one millionth of reality'. How incredibly interesting. What if we could extend our senses?? What new things or experiences would we discover?? How could we imagine these new senses when we only know our own?? I am reminded about my recent fascination in the Mediated Architecture course with changing the characteristics of sound and sensing it as a physical object. How we can link sound with vibration... another sense.. but still regard sound as a singular occurrence or event. I made the connection that when considering the effect of sounds on image the sense we get is such a small aspect of what is actually happening in a grand reality. I am a firm believer of the 'theory of everything' or that everything is linked to everything although I do not know how. 'The universe is a living superorganism.' It is hard to step out of our own experience and think of how aliens could perceive the world ... I for one feel it is a creative process and possibly the role of the artist to think about this.

More research into senses developed with the consideration of synesthesia. 'Synesthesia is linked to an emotional experience as much as it is to physical perception, art inspired in synesthia is equally so, and therefore strongly subjective. The sense of beauty attained in intensely emotional experiences can be felt when a work of art is ultimately successful.' A suggestion could be made that synesthesia occurs when the brain interprets one sense and wrongly applies to another at the same time... but this doesn't explain why some synesthetes see coloured numbers or letters. I considered the idea that it was an emotional overload... like crying or laughing... but quickly disregarded this theory. Synesthetes typically have good memories and are more often than not mentally balanced (and mostly women)... maybe there is more to the physical world that connect the substances we sense and the way we interpret our senses into language (numbers and letters). - 'Synesthetes have an aptitude for sensing balance and acute observational skills'... This lead me to thinking about a theory I'd vaguely heard of that humans will develop or have the capacity to develop a superior or more intelligent consciousness... sometimes referred to as 'Cosmic Consciousness'.

It appears that many people have spoken of an experience that is described as Cosmis Conciousness (including myself) all mostly considering it as a spiritual experience.

'The experience comes on suddenly without warning with a sensation of being immersed in a flame or rose-coloured cloud and is accompanied by a feeling of ecstasy, moral and intellectual illumination in which, like a flash, a clear conception in outline is presented to the mind of the meaning a drift of the universe.'

'ineffable light, light rare, untellable light beyond all signs, descriptions and languages'

I would add that the experience was unlike any intense emotional experience I have ever had, although I would certainly agree that there was a feeling of ecstasy it was just not related to any event and didn't feel like it was produced by anything earthly (like hormones). Although I had the experience a number or years ago now and I don't really recall much detail. I would say, that it felt like I could see everything in the universe or in existence... like I ascended from earth and could understand everything . It was just for a few moments but felt like a lot longer... At the time I associated the experience as a spiritual one.. like I was seeing the universe through the eyes of God. How could I present this experience to the world? and how can I research into its meaning? And I think... as mentioned above, that I could start with attempting to artistically extend the senses.

New Artscience Researh Project Plan and First Developments

Research Plan

For my main research concern I am interested in a relationship between audio and visuals. The idea developed from noting how sound can influences ones perception of image, and visa versa. It interests me in how this correspondent relationship between sound and image could be used to aid communication and/or direct the attention of the audience in order to express something explicit. I observed that audiovisual communication is especially effective in film narration, there are many examples of ‘film grammar’, that is, metonyms that associate certain sounds with certain images or transitions in sound that have a particular meaning when paired with visuals or a storyline (as is the case with film music). It is sometimes found in these conventions, that certain combinations of sound and image realised in film that can be used in order to direct the audience to determine a specific conviction about the narrative or concept of said film. Film grammar like this can be seen in commercial cinema, perhaps the reason for this universal knowledge of the meaning behind these conventions suggests a significant cultural process within them.

Human perception altered by media is a subject that I have previously explored. In my practical work I began to think about the resonances of technology, its implications on social spaces and the forms and actions of identity. I thought about the seemingly cultural fascination with the 'dangers' of technology that much science fiction explores. Issues such as this could form the starting point when considering a subject for these short film and video experiments. It is unsettling to consider that we can so easily be controlled without realising. I wish to extend this notion by demonstrating that the controlling action is hidden not only behind language, but behind technology.

Theoretically, the work will pursue the following issues:

• Artistic intentions in reference to audio-visual installation and sound art: for example, to what extent do artists the consider the communication of concept within their work to the perception of its audience and is it in this communication that the art-works defines itself to the audience. I feel that direct interaction with audio-visual digital technologies would be a good starting point for this research.

• Cultural/social influences of the audio-visual conventions found in film: it could be said that the shared experience of a social group can constitute to an ease in communication via this medium.

• Individual experience/perception of sound and sound on image: does the message of the composer/film-maker become blurred if material is experienced differently by other individuals and does this mean that an artistic concept described by the material in audio-visual works can never be explicitly shared.

• The use and place of technology as an artistic medium and holding the potential to shape the processes behind future work. When using technologies to realise creative ideas this issue is a by-product and a resolution could be formed from after-thought of a project.

• Technology as used to express or formulate idea artistic ideas: when regarding technology are there firstly certain restrictions that artists face and technological processes that can influence artistic decision, direction of progress and conception of contained ideas and conception of everyday life.

So an exploration in the from of improvisation or interaction in a performance environment in order to study the immediate perception of the intrinsic qualities in the dynamic relationship between the aural and visual worlds in both narrative and non-narrative context will be attempted over the MA. Interpolating production processes for sound and visuals with reference to the findings of the immediate perception of sound on image.

First Developments

For the first developments into my research have happened slowly and in stages of inspiration an guidance.... Firstly I have had a tutorial with new tutor Edwin, which was mainly an introductory meeting but one of the suggestions that stuck with me is considering light as an medium... and Synaesthesia as a subject linking sound and images senses. A tutorial with second tutor Kasper... the main point I remember from our discussion is his suggestion when I told my fascinations (in a very vague way) to start with my view of the world and filter it down into what I find interesting. In my next post I will state the outcomings of these suggestions.

Mediated Architecture

For the first hands-on course on the Masters ArtScience program we followed the research title of Mediated Architecture. For me personally, I felt encouraged to think about the final exhibition of my work. And how the product and presentation of the work has relevance to how it is experienced... I considered factors such as environment, space, culture, functionality and especially location whilst producing my own prototype for the perfect location for an artwork. I thought about integrating the space into the work and immediately thought of the materialisation of sound... a subject I have previously investigated. Whilst presenting the prototype I gave this speech:

It is an improvisation in a interactive environment would allow me to study the immediate perception of the intrinsic qualities in the dynamic relationship between the aural and physical worlds. To use a wall of sound (white noise, filtered) and spatialisation could demonstrate the idea of sound as a malleable substance. Alters the perception of the audience into new characteristics of space- sculpting the sound like a physical object or containing it in a box. In order to demonstrate a physicalisation of sound brought about by technology. The sound sculptor uses motion as an extension of their own voice, investigating the coded trappings of space, in this way the generators corporeal powers are virtually expanded beyond those in reality where technology allows us the illusion of control. The work examines the presence of sound by placing it in an environment of a virtual sound space to be physically modified by movement as if it exists as an object. The piece intends to represent the resonances of digital technology by alienating sound from a source and presenting an installation that defies what is known about the physical presence of sound. Wands talks of the potential in Sound art with: ‘the active forging of tactile, aural and visual perception between humans, and in collaboration with technology, asks questions which can yield ways of better understanding, seeing and hearing natural order’ (Wands, 2006: 134). The potential for sound art to inhabit such conceptions of perception and moral issues of human nature with special relation to technology, has appeared to be a suitable setting for a work presenting the potential implications in our interaction and development of technologies into our daily lives. The scale should be a size that would demonstrate the concept.... - a paraphrase of a quote by Olaffur Eliasson: "you can only make a space by a transformative act"

An interesting comment from tutor Franz was introducing vibration to the installation... This sparked off a few new ideas about my own research project.

LoFi Video The Architect