I have been developing my ideas a little more, and I am thoroughly enjoying the process. Figuring out solutions to problems, how I want to communicate my work and what I will need to do it has been a process I’ve been thriving in as opposed to getting too stressed out.
I made these notes and drawings during our most recent lesson, and I felt I took a lot of valuable content from hearing Milo speak. As my notes explain, this show is an opportunity to have my work exist within an expanded field full of friends, family and potential collaborators. It could even be that people turn up to the exhibition who have an influence within the world of sound arts, so I must treat this as if people that can offer me opportunities are taking notice.
Out of my initial ideas I felt that the most interesting and achievable one was the idea I had titled ‘Painting with Sound’. The interactive aspect has a lot of room to be developed and the use of a generative sound would take away this shiny, well polished ‘finished article’ that galleries so often accommodate. The potential for my piece to be an infinite, co-produced process in real time rather than a final product I feel leans toward a different type of experience than what is typically associated with a gallery. Even people that aren’t entirely engaged with the art world would be able to understand the work and feel included, as if they are having a conversation with the sound and image generated by the system.
I continued to be fluid and uncommitted to a singular possibility when drawing out more ideas, so that I didn’t lead myself down a narrow path. I feel the working abstract for this idea is slowly becoming clear. I will include a brief summary of where I feel this idea is going thematically:
My installation offers a unique, individual experience that encourages a conversation with the audience and the work. Through a simple controller that is open for people to interact with, the sound will react in different ways to whatever direction the person takes it in. This installation strives to break the barrier between artist, art and audience and embraces endless process over definitive result.
I feel as though I’m going for more a feeling here over a deeper concept, which is different from how I usually work. I think this idea is starting to take a lot of influence from my recent change in approach towards my work, as I have been a lot more process led which is different from when I used to run everything through a pre-conceived concept. I hope this idea can communicate this new direction I am going in.
The questions I have now following these developments are:
- Does there need to be audio-reactive visuals?
- What aesthetic am I going for? (colours, mood, flair)
- How many speakers will I need?
- I need a visual element. What would work the best? (mirrors, LEDs, DMX lights, audio reactive software)
I think I want to stick with the simple MIDI controller with different knobs controlling different parameters like macros, because anything too intricate or complicated would firstly take up a lot of time figuring out, and secondly confuse the audience as well as myself. Things need to be kept simple. I am still stuck on how a visual element would work. There is audio reactive software like ‘Touch Designer’ or Ableton’s ‘Zwobot’, but again the process of creating an engaging visual that will react to the audio with these systems is very time consuming.
