Reading Response #1

In "The Art of Sound" (found here at http://www.tate.org.uk/tateetc/issue3/theartofnoise.htm ) David Topp writes of sound as a force that functions throughout time and space. He goes on to discuss the difference between music and noise, citing the theories of both as the developed through the industrial age, both world wars, and into modern times. The ideas of art and sound and sound art as they have grown into their own "creatures."

I chose to respond to this article because I find a great many ideas contained within it that I would like to apply to my own sound art experimentation with media. I found the section of Topp's essay on the lack of dialogue between visual artists and sound artists to be the most interesting. In film the two often go hand in hand. Art is such an expressive medium for the soul, and I personally visualize images in my head as i listen to pure sounds, or music and vice cersa when I stare deep into a splatter painting or a montage transition in a graphic novel, I do hear the soundtrack of the story in my mind.

Lastly, what I enjoyed most of this article was the brief moments when Topp writes of the industrial noise surrounding us in this new modern age. It can be calming and peaceful, or abrupt like "when a car alarm shatters the peace of a Sunday morning." All of these sounds within our world create a sort of tapestry for which ours ears cannot escape. The soundtrack of our lives is built with those elements whether we like it or not. We cannot always choose what sounds we hear and what sounds we ignore, therefore sound is, in fact, a force. It carries time and fills space. As it blends it becomes music and I plan to utilize that symphony to go hand in hand with my visual art. I believe that is the goal, and has been from the beginning.

Response to a Soundwalk

Were you able to find places and spaces where you could really listen?

Yes, at the start of the soundwalk the group sat in a circle and closed their eyes. We then slowly allowed our ears to drift further and further away into the open space of the city. It was very unusual to, at the end, pick up on sounds I wouldn't normally have thought to recognize.

Was it possible to move without making a sound?

No it was not. As we discussed silence is impossible because even in silence you hear the roar of your body sustaining itself. Also, my feet made a noise everytime they hit something. The noise was different when I stepped on tile from cement, but a sound ocurred nonetheless.

What happened when you plugged your ears, and then unplugged them?

At first everything went dead silent, or so it seemed. After a moment it sounded like rushing water. When I slowly unplugged my ears it was as though an ocean of sounds poured into me. It was very overwhelming.

In your sound log exercise, what types of sounds were you able to hear? List them.

Squirrel claws scratching on tree bark
feet on cement
vents exhausting air
the hum of generators
a car horn
the screech of bus break lines
the swoosh of a bus coming to a complete stop
the wind blowing paper around
leaves rustling in the trees
a bird chirping then cawing
a buzz of what i am told is an annoying bug
the rumbling of my stomach
truck tires bouncing on the road

Were you able to differentiate between sounds that had a recognizable source and those sounds you could not place?

At first it was very difficult but the more I relaxed my other senses and focused on sound it became fairly easier.

Human sounds? Mechanical sounds? Natural sounds?

Yes, I could determine the difference between shoes, tires, and woodchips very easily.

Were you able to detect subtleties in the everpresent drone?

Again, not at first, but towards the end when I relaxed it became easier. I am sure that with more practice it would be much simpler.

Extremely close sounds? Sounds coming from very far away?

When we closed our eyes I was able to zoom in and out to sounds far away as well as right beside me.

What kinds of wind effects were you able to detect (for example, the leaves of trees don't make sounds until they are activated by the wind)?

Well, paper was silent until wind hit it, as were the leaves, and even my hair hitting against my ear lobe eventually made a sound.

Were you able to intervene in the urban landscape and create your own sounds by knocking on a resonant piece of metal, activating wind chimes, etc.?

Yes, I did tap both with a pen and my finger on numerous items including a glass door, a branch, a metal post, a metal rail, a plastic garbage can, and a wooden table. I noticed how the same motion caused a similar sound on each. They most obvious difference, however, was the hieght or lowness of the tone.

Do you feel you have a new understanding or appreciation of the sounds of our contemporary landscape/cityscape?

I do actually feel that way. Its amazing how everything blends together into the hum of a city, especially when you take the time to logically and carefully break down the source of each item.

How do you think your soundwalk experience will affect your practice as a media artist, if at all?

I definatly think it gives me a new appreciation for sound as an important part of the process. Until that day I had always blown sound off as something simple. Now, I realize that it can be difficult to find pure sound. Nevertheless, I am excited to try.

Hello There

Welcome to my blog about my expirimentation with media. My name is Robert Francis Curtis and I will be posting my research into the fields of mixed media. So, stay tuned, and I hope you enjoy yourself.