WEEK 8 - ARTSPACE / RESPONSE TO SOUND DESIGN

In class we covered equalisation and reverb. I particularly found the reverb section useful as it's something that will definitely add to my piece, whereas I felt that the different sections of my piece were already recorded fairly well so I don't really need to equalise them much. 

We then went up to Artspace on K Road, to view/listen to the exhibition, The Shadow of the Dome of Pleasure. Featuring a number of artists, the work was a combination of moving image and sound pieces, that were very contemporary forms. 

My Response:

The curator, Henry Davidson, wanted to create an exhibition that explored different possibilities by displaying a group show of video work that could set up relationships between each work, opposed to a traditional gallery context where the works are usually separate and in discrete screening rooms - due to practical reasons such as sounds and light. So he selected existing pieces and one new piece specifically for the show by Juliet Carpenter, and then worked with two artists who's practices are involved with architecture and interior design - Biljiana Popovic and Alexander Laurie - who built the structure that houses the work (so their work serves all the other works). A large part of what they had to do was create a structure that was sound proof and light proof, but still brought the works relationships together. To do this, they used a special insulation called Green Stuff between the walls. However there is a little bit of bleed so that when you move around, you can also hear the transition of one piece to the next. Henry wanted to create an intense environment where you have to move from each piece in a directed way, so it is quite controlled in what works you see first. 

I thought this was extremely clever and well thought out, and after talking to Henry and understanding the effort and extent that was made to produce an exhibition like this, I can definitely appreciate it even more. Before I had known this, I was a little bit confused about the aim and process of the exhibition. I had never thought about the interior design of an exhibition, as I naturally was always more of aware of the actual work displayed, opposed to it's surrounding environment. The fact that the space has been designed to work with sound, while displaying sound pieces, is something I think is very neat and would love to see more of. The only other time where I have really witnessed a room that is designed to work with sound, was at Semi-Permanent this year, where there were animated 3D shapes protected on the wall, and the louder the audience cheered, the greater the shapes would get and bounce off the walls - so it was interactive with the audience.  

Trailer: The Shadow of the Dome on Vimeo

WEEK 7- RETURN FROM BREAK / READING RESPONSE

Returning from the break, I recieved my formative mark; boarder line of B+ and A-.
I'm personally pretty stoked with it, and I have decided that I will continue working on my piece and try and take it to it's full potential. My formative mark showed that I could improve on concept and music production - since my piece is in that direction. With that in mind, I have decided that I will try and take on an orchestral approach to really emphasise the entire track. Now that we can use presets and other programes, I plan to add in other stringed instruments, such as the harp, as well as possibly some wood wind instruments.

In class we were also introduced to the additional parts of the brief, one of them being a 30 second sound design piece. I have decided to take a more narrative approach for this piece, and I have started working on a track that documents someone walking outdoors - and going through the different sounds that they encounter on their stroll. I knew that I had wanted to work with natural outdoor sounds so I think this is something that could turn out well.

Part of the brief also requires a response to the reading, Sound as a Virtual Image by Bill Fontana.

Response - Sound as a Virtual Image by Bill Fontana

After reading this, I became a lot more aware of how much we underestimate what we hear, in comparison to what we see. Our mind takes in what we see instantly, where as sound seems to take longer and its as if we have to focus harder because we can’t determine where it is coming from with direct senses such as sight or touch. A lot of the time we don’t really take note of every day sounds we hear, such as the wind or foot steps when you’re walking, to a point where we don’t really think about it and our mind practically blocks it out. It’s not something an average person would necessarily appreciate. But to then think of what it would be like to be deaf, is frightening. I thought the Sound Island project was quite fascinating, again it was something I never would have thought about. It’s quite intelligent that the idea uses a piece of sound design to disguise the sounds of the chaotic traffic – which you’d think would be undisguisable. When I first read this section, I thought of when a section of an action film goes in slow motion, and the sound stops as the sequence plays out – e.g. an explosion or a race – when everything is slowed down, they don’t play the chaotic background noises that you would naturally expect to hear. Overall I think it’s a weird yet wonderful way that sound works with your mentality and how it can alter perspectives along side your other senses.