Monthly Archives: April 2024

Collaborating Submission Approach / Initial Work

For the Collaborating Module Submission, I am working with Saia Dugan and Matthew McConnway to develop a speaker that acts as a sculptural representation of a given space. The design of the shape of the speaker will be distorted through data generated by an impulse response of a room. We are currently planning on constructing a cavity that supports the speaker cones and amplifiers, with an outer chassis made of plywood that has been cut by a CNC router to make the shape we generate.

In a discussion as a group, we emphasized the importance of space in our design and we have been continuously referencing a quote from Steven Connor which says ‘wherever a sound occurred, it was always manifested elsewhere, or other things were manifested through it. A sound has no autonomy but is always relational’.

We are collaborating with Matt’s brother who is a mechanical engineer, and he will help us splice the final shape to create plans we can use for the CNC machine when cutting the piece for the outer chassis.

This past weekend, on Sunday the 28th of April, we gathered recordings, impulse responses, and a sine tone sweep at different locations in Central London. Starting in the lower level of the Westminster, we used a stereo Sennheiser Microphone and recorded a series of clapping as well as multiple sine tone sweeps in order to determine the acoustics of the space.

Sound and Sculpture: How Does Sound Reframe Our Visual Perception?

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– RESEARCH PROJECT AND CREATIVE WORK –

26/04/2024

For the Element 1 section of my submission for Contemporary Issues in Sound Art, I am exploring the relationship between sound and sculpture and how our perception of material is influenced and shaped through sound. Specifically focusing on the role sound plays in creating a sense of space and emotion alongside sculpture, I will examine and analyze this field through the lenses of both acoustic ecology and film sound studies.

To practice within these developed ideas and exemplify the phenomena around the depth sound illustrates that I am producing a creative work alongside this research for the element 2 submission. The creative work will be a sculpture with a soundtrack, acting as both a physical and sonic representation of the depth that surrounds texture in material and texture in sound produced when married together. The premise for the sculpture is to highlight the beauty in simple materials when conveyed through complex textural patterns used in modern architecture. The materials used will be mundane and accessible, however, the score of the work will act as paint to convey an environment that engulfs the sculpture.

30/04/2024

In my final brief for my element 1 submission I have focused my research onto analyzing the specific role of sound in the sculptural and sonic works of artists Zimoun, Susan Phillips, and Robert Morris. My research and perspectives utilize ideas from acoustic ecology and film sound studies, as well as through the persepctives of composers such as Pierre Schaeffer who highlight acousmatic sound in their practice.

The essay is an interdisciplinary examination of how orchestrated and natural sound impact our perception of environment, whether imagined or physical. My wiritng is also focusing on the concept of perceptual fidelity introduced by James Lastra and how the approach of orchestrating sound directly amplifies the presence of an audience in an environment.

For the creative work, I am using sound as a physical medium and composing a piece that is reflective on the role sound plays in my own life. Specifically in how I use sound to convey feeling and sculpt environments around the realm of my psyche. The work was originally intended to also have a sculptural element, however, in using the title ‘Sonic Talisman’ I feel that it is necessary to convey the physicality of sound in isolation rather than placed alongside another medium.

Initial Design / Planning

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For the design of the speaker we are planning on using Blender to create a 3d model has been distorted by the impulse responses we collected at Westminster station. The shape will begin as a cuboid or an ellipsoid depending on what is possible with the CNC machine, and the pieces will be divided into 25 separate layers to construct a cabinet that is roughtly 45cm in height, with 18mm plywood. After processing the shape we are planning on constructing a miniature model using a laser cutter and 3mm plywood in order to test how to join the layers and support the structure of the speaker given the size of the center cavity.

I have been researching and creating sculptural works reflective of perception and space alongside sound, and the speaker is acting as a sculptural representation of a specific space. The model is fabricated to act as a visual representation of a corridor in Westminster tube staiton, and it calls into question how sound can be visualized. I also think about materiality in sound as it relates to this design, because sound is going to be used as a medium in constructing this speaker cabinet.

Saia, has been experimenting with speaker construction and acoustic design as it relates to the build of a speaker, whereas Matthew has been researching and experimenting with acoustic design with impulse response, and acoustic treatment in space. Saia’s experimentation with speaker design has been closely related to customization alongside specific environments and uses, which has contributed to this idea. We are going to use recycled speakers found by Saia, and an external amplifier.

Here are intial design notes from a meeting we had at the end of April, and a list of rough dimensions for the final fabrication.