#spaceimageandsoundproposal

Space Image and Sound

Conceptual Statement

Spatial Visualization:

Audio Samples:

(See Top)

Written Description:

This project is addressing the weak signal of the power of suggestion. We want to explore how one element can influence another and suggest a visual or auditory outcome. Based on the audiences observation of the first element their interpretation of the second is affected.

A potential example of this would be a layered image, consisting of multiple images all semi-transparent and superimposed over each other. Each image is individually visible when focused on, however difficult to detect among the other images. Accompanying this layered image would be a sound track specifically related to one of the images. As audience members approach the work, the sound they hear is suggestive of a particular subject matter and therefore, that is the image their brain will pick out from among the layers.

We will explore having both sound and image as the dominant element, investigating how each can influence people. They key element in this project is how the audience’s interpretation is subconsciously effected. Because of this we will prototype each element and see how viewers react before developing the work based on user feedback. We also want to investigate involving the audience in the suggestion, through the possible use of sensors. Perhaps the work influences the audience and their reaction to the work then re-influences the work itself, changing the visual or auditory element in real-time, creating a closed loop of influence.

We intend this installation to be set up in a gallery type ‘white space’ so focus is given to the images and sound on display. The work will consist of multiple image and sound pairings, however as the relationship between each pairing is so important, they will be displayed in different spaces or at different times so that they do not interfere with each other.

Conceptual Statement:

Weak signals are aspects of an environment which are hard to detect and so are often overlooked (Charlton, J., 2018). Some of the most interesting weak signals are those that exist within everyday human interaction. These are the signals and subtle communications we frequently rely on as humans, and yet are often unaware of. One of these signals is the power of suggestion.

Suggestions have the power to completely change how we as humans observe things. “If you expect something to happen - if someone or something suggests to you a specific outcome - your expectations of that outcome play a major role in its occurrence. The expectation or suggestion alone, often unconsciously, changes your behaviour and your responses to help bring into reality the outcome you are expecting” (Campbell, 2015).

The 1892 rabbit-duck drawing illusion (seen below) is an excellent example of this (Rabbit-duck illusion, 2018). Depending on how the drawing is viewed, both a duck and a rabbit are visible. However, if shown the image with the pretense of it being a rabbit, people are more likely to see the rabbit first. The suggestion, is what manipulates and directs a person’s view. In our work, it will be an auditory or visual suggestion that determines how the work is interpreted.

Chris Carter is another artist who uses suggestion in her work. Her line drawings are done in such a way that they suggest motion and form. (Chris Carter Artist, 2018). The lines themselves are quite simple, but they are suggestive of something far more complex.

The following video of a jumping telephone pole suggests a sound (KiddosOldChannel, 2011). The way the image moves and reacts suggests magnitude and sound, and watching it over, we almost felt like we could hear the pole hitting the ground.

Another sound and image suggestion combination, is the 4’33” composition by John Cage. This 1952 piece is a composition consisting of no deliberate sounds and so as a result, the ambient noise in the environment takes focus in the work (Pritchett, 2009). In this way Cage’s work also explores weak signals. The suggestive element to the work is based in the relationship between the visual sheet music and the auditory performance. Without the sheet music, the performer might have been assumed to be doing nothing, but with the composition it becomes clear that the performer is actually playing a piece that simply has no notes. The visual sheet music influences an audience’s understanding of the auditory element in the work.

Finally, Lisa Reihana’s 2015 installation “In Pursuit of Venus [Infected]” links sounds and images in a back and forth manor. As one sound becomes louder the audience is encouraged to seek out the image to which the sound belongs, suggesting a way of viewing the work. In a similar sense, when a new image appears on the right of the screen it suggests a new sound and the audience listens in for the accompanying audio. The way the work directs an audience is very subtle, but the visual and auditory elements in this piece definitely influence the audience’s perception of the work as a whole (Auckland Art Gallery, 2015).

Each of the above works has an element of suggestion in the way the elements of the work interact. The power of suggestion is a weak signal because it is present in all of these works and yet it is not the focus or direct intention of the work. We intend to use suggestions in our own work in a similarly subtle way - hidden amongst the background ‘noise’ so to speak.

Sounds will suggest images, images will suggest sounds and ultimately the work will suggest a way in which to be observed. The work itself will determine how it is viewed, by using suggestion to position the viewer. Suggestion is the weak signal because it will be subtle enough to be overlooked, and yet it is celebrated as the hidden key element in every piece.

Technical Requirements:

Software and Production Materials:

Photoshop - Already on personal laptop

Processing - Already on personal laptop

Arduino - Already on personal laptop

Digital Audio Workstation - Already on personal laptop

Printer - Printsprint is accessible at AUT

Installation Materials:

White Space - Book the ‘blackbox’ space at AUT

Screen - Book colab projector/tv screen

Speakers - Speakers built into ‘blackbox’ space

Sensors - Already owned, and can also be purchase from Jaycar and Surplus Electronics

References: 

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki. (2015, July 20). Lisa Reihana: in Pursuit of Venus (infected) [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmMRF5nw9UI

Campbell, P. (2015, April 21). 4 ways the power of suggestion can change your life. Retrieved from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/imperfect-spirituality/201504/4-ways-the-power-suggestion-can-change-your-life

Chris Carter Artist. (2018). Retrieved from https://chriscarterart.com/

John Cage. (2018, August 25). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 27, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cage

KiddosOldChannel. (2011, July 12). Rope jumping electricity pole [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b–kczcf4AI

Pritchett, J. (2009). What silence taught John Cage: the story of 4’33”. Retrieved from http://rosewhitemusic.com/piano/writings/silence-taught-john-cage/

Software and Production Materials:

Photoshop - Already on personal laptop

Processing - Already on personal laptop

Arduino - Already on personal laptop

Digital Audio Workstation - Already on personal laptop

Printer - Printsprint is accessible at AUT

Installation Materials:

White Space - Book the ‘blackbox’ space at AUT

Screen - Book colab projector/tv screen

Speakers - Speakers built into ‘blackbox’ space

Sensors - Already owned, and can also be purchased

Weak signals are aspects of an environment which are hard to detect and so are often overlooked (Charlton, J., 2018). Some of the most interesting weak signals are those that exist within everyday human interaction. These are the signals and subtle communications we frequently rely on as humans, and yet are often unaware of. One of these signals is the power of suggestion.

Suggestions have the power to completely change how we as humans observe things. “If you expect something to happen - if someone or something suggests to you a specific outcome - your expectations of that outcome play a major role in its occurrence. The expectation or suggestion alone, often unconsciously, changes your behaviour and your responses to help bring into reality the outcome you are expecting” (Campbell, 2015).

The 1892 rabbit-duck drawing illusion (seen below) is an excellent example of this (Rabbit-duck illusion, 2018). Depending on how the drawing is viewed, both a duck and a rabbit are visible. However, if shown the image with the pretense of it being a rabbit, people are more likely to see the rabbit first. The suggestion, is what manipulates and directs a person’s view. In our work, it will be an auditory or visual suggestion that determines how the work is interpreted.

Chris Carter is another artist who uses suggestion in her work. Her line drawings are done in such a way that they suggest motion and form. (Chris Carter Artist, 2018). The lines themselves are quite simple, but they are suggestive of something far more complex.

The following video of a jumping telephone pole suggests a sound (KiddosOldChannel, 2011). The way the image moves and reacts suggests magnitude and sound, and watching it over, we almost felt like we could hear the pole hitting the ground.

Another sound and image suggestion combination, is the 4’33” composition by John Cage. This 1952 piece is a composition consisting of no deliberate sounds and so as a result, the ambient noise in the environment takes focus in the work (Pritchett, 2009). In this way Cage’s work also explores weak signals. The suggestive element to the work is based in the relationship between the visual sheet music and the auditory performance. Without the sheet music, the performer might have been assumed to be doing nothing, but with the composition it becomes clear that the performer is actually playing a piece that simply has no notes. The visual sheet music influences an audience’s understanding of the auditory element in the work.

Finally, Lisa Reihana’s 2015 installation “In Pursuit of Venus [Infected]” links sounds and images in a back and forth manor. As one sound becomes louder the audience is encouraged to seek out the image to which the sound belongs, suggesting a way of viewing the work. In a similar sense, when a new image appears on the right of the screen it suggests a new sound and the audience listens in for the accompanying audio. The way the work directs an audience is very subtle, but the visual and auditory elements in this piece definitely influence the audience’s perception of the work as a whole (Auckland Art Gallery, 2015).

Each of the above works has an element of suggestion in the way the elements of the work interact. The power of suggestion is a weak signal because it is present in all of these works and yet it is not the focus or direct intention of the work. We intend to use suggestions in our own work in a similarly subtle way - hidden amongst the background ‘noise’ so to speak.

Sounds will suggest images, images will suggest sounds and ultimately the work will suggest a way in which to be observed. The work itself will determine how it is viewed, by using suggestion to position the viewer. Suggestion is the weak signal because it will be subtle enough to be overlooked, and yet it is celebrated as the hidden key element in every piece.

References:

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki. (2015, July 20). Lisa Reihana: in Pursuit of Venus (infected) [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmMRF5nw9UI

Campbell, P. (2015, April 21). 4 ways the power of suggestion can change your life. Retrieved from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/imperfect-spirituality/201504/4-ways-the-power-suggestion-can-change-your-life

Chris Carter Artist. (2018). Retrieved from https://chriscarterart.com/

John Cage. (2018, August 25). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 27, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cage

KiddosOldChannel. (2011, July 12). Rope jumping electricity pole [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b--kczcf4AI

Pritchett, J. (2009). What silence taught John Cage: the story of 4’33”. Retrieved from http://rosewhitemusic.com/piano/writings/silence-taught-john-cage/

This project is addressing the weak signal of the power of suggestion. We want to explore how one element can influence another and suggest a visual or auditory outcome. Based on the audiences observation of the first element their interpretation of the second is affected.

A potential example of this would be a layered image, consisting of multiple images all semi-transparent and superimposed over each other. Each image is individually visible when focused on, however difficult to detect among the other images. Accompanying this layered image would be a sound track specifically related to one of the images. As audience members approach the work, the sound they hear is suggestive of a particular subject matter and therefore, that is the image their brain will pick out from among the layers.

We will explore having both sound and image as the dominant element, investigating how each can influence people. They key element in this project is how the audience's interpretation is subconsciously effected. Because of this we will prototype each element and see how viewers react before developing the work based on user feedback. We also want to investigate involving the audience in the suggestion, through the possible use of sensors. Perhaps the work influences the audience and their reaction to the work then re-influences the work itself, changing the visual or auditory element in real-time, creating a closed loop of influence.

The below two photos (one black and white, one colour) are examples of a possible image collage that might feature in our installation. The image is built up from many picture layers each overlaid with varying degrees of transparency. If you look closely some of the included images are a tree, lion, clock, field, flowers, buildings and a crowd. Our visual element, will be accompanied by sounds which match the images. For example a Lion’s roar might be heard, suggesting the audience look for a Lion in the image.

The below image shows a basic possible set up for our work. It will be in a blank, gallery-like space, with images either printed, on a screen, or projected on a wall. Speakers will be positioned throughout the room to provide the auditory element alongside the visual work. The exact layout is yet to be confirmed, however we have decided on using a clear gallery space.

This semester I have teamed up with AJ, Garian and Franz to complete our space, image and sound installation piece. We are exploring ‘the power of suggestion” in our work, by using sound to suggest an image, and image to suggest a sound. We are looking at how the different elements influence each other and change an audience’s interpretation of the work.

We also want to investigation involving the audience in the suggestion, through the possible use of sensors. Perhaps the work influences the audience and their reaction to the work then re-influences the work itself, changing the visual or auditory element in real-time, creating a closed loop of influence.

The following blog posts are for our first assignment. They contain written, auditory, and visual elements which together, build up a proposal for our project this semester.