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Tag: positionality

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Contemporary Issues In Sound Art Second Year

Joseph Kamari:

I found Joseph Kamari’s work profoundly moving as he talked about his awareness of the world around him. His work focussed so deeply on the everyday noises but simultaneously felt like something new and fresh. After watching his new live stream at HÖR Berlin if felt highly inspired by his sonic positioning and art.

Kamaru works with familiar noises in our society and applies different synths and drones which almost mask what are hearing. These sonic effects make his sonic sound inaudible to fully understand; I find such beauty in this. Blurring the boundaries between understanding and unfamiliar can almost place a mediative effect on the listener. Complications and chaos of civilisation can tarnish how we hear sounds. Our ethnographies build up a list of connotations linked to sounds we hear and can almost create a negative and presumptuous mindset. How his work blurs these certainties within this live stream leaves thinking space for the viewer to create new preconceptions around the sound.

As humans, we are so driven physiologically to the source of sound and how it looks. However, Kmaru’s work has inspired me to listen deeper beyond the context and around the sonic itself. Humans think about the source of sound when listening due to a combination of innate cognitive processes and learned experiences. I researched into this, finding that the main reasons stem from us having, survival instinct, spacial awareness, social interaction and being environmentally aware.

I will talk about the idea of this deeper listening within my essay and express the vitality of how we chose to hear and see rather this listen beyond the what who and where.

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First Year Thinking & Doing Sound

Interactive Exhibitions Within Western Germany

After reading the article based on exhibition experiences within late 20th century Germany, I came to ask myself what works better for the art: including touch or not including touch? It is well known about Germany’s history under strict dictatorship rule throughout many centuries including only years before this article was discovered. During the end of the century, Germany took a new step towards freedom and began inheriting new waves of contemporary art within their lifestyle. Music became more experimental, and life found a new sense of freedom. However with the Berlin Wall still standing until 1989 Berlin still held a strict divide within society- highlighting an everlasting presence and control from the government. The debate of whether viewers were allowed to touch the art still tells me that western Germany still held a strong control over society’s actions. During Sehen und Hören, Josef Haubrich- Kunsthalle, Cologne 1974. They presented their work in a clinically white room with sealed windows- allowing no exposure from the outside world. The article states it “allegedly allows optimal concentration on their perception”. This feels to me as if the viewers were being forced to view the art in a certain way. Art is ambiguous and can sometimes be vague. People’s perceptions are based on their positionality and life context. The art should speak thousands of languages and meanings – dependent on the viewer and what their life had entailed. By shutting out any other influence stimulates a strict and regimented environment which contrasts the idea of a new, free Germany. Its militant environment mirrors the dictatorship past; allowing no flexibility during the exhibition. On the other hand, this could be viewed in another light. By blocking out any outside life during the exhibition could allow the opportunity for the viewer to forget existing oppression and current social ills happening in the outside world. Boycotting existing life can almost create a sense of calm and focus to experience the exhibition to its full potential. To me, the contrast between the white walls and the art almost creates a sense of divide – mirroring Berlin’s current state due to the Berlin Wall and the divide between Eastern and Western Germany. The art represents a sense of freedom away from strict rule juxtaposing the other side of the wall where rigid dictatorship rule was still held in place. These restrictions within the gallery could have had a greater effect and shown to the viewer what they would have seen outside anyway. They do the work for the windows meaning they’re not needed almost making it an immersive experience. Despite the fact, they didn’t want to do that.

Thinking about my future work, I will make the decision whether or not to incorporate touch within my piece. As already discussed earlier in my blog, I can clearly see the benefits of incorporating other senses to highlight the sound. However, I do believe that what senses you include is entirely down to the theme and focus of the piece. I will go away and think about my up and coming performance and decide whether I should or shouldn’t include this.

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First Year Visiting Practitioners

Richard Pheonix – Visiting Practioner

During Richard’s talk, he mentioned his work within different variations of disability groups and music bands. He expressed his shock when he first visited a punk rock gig for people with learning difficulties. This being his first-ever interaction within this environment he talked about how incredible and unique the music and the experience was. I went away and thought about this concept in great depth. Human positionality depicts their genre and area of music- however, it does not mean it’s the only thing you will ever like or know! So don’t settle! Richard’s previous experiences in the music scene prior to this were underground rock bands. Despite this being the same genre this was still a completely unique experience due to its members and the environment in which the gig was held. Music has no barrier or class structure, yet humans decide to put one there. Why should one genre decide your life path, attitude, fashion, or personality? This brought my attention to the music scene in the ’80s where “mods” and “rockers” formed a full physical and mental divide truly based on their genre of music. Richard’s interactions and close interest in disability music prove to me that despite your positionality genres and barriers can be knocked down as it is us who create them. Music can not always be liked by everyone but opinions over the years have formed blockades within society even on things that are entirely away from the music. I learned from this to never position myself within one area of music and to continue through life with an open ear to sound and music. Not allowing music to control you as a being but only to teach you is something that many people should think about. Positionality forms you as a person and what you surround yourself with. However, barriers should not be formed because of this.

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First Year Thinking & Doing Sound

What Is Sound Art?

What is Sound Art? – 05.10.21

Today we were asked to break down and form an Ontology of Sound Art. Although this practice could take years (if not forever!) to find the answer, I believe I have found a happy medium in which I can continue my creative process towards the future. Basing back on the studies shown on Sam Auinger I continued the idea that ‘Sound Art’ was creating noise into something worth listening to; in order to evoke emotion or feeling. We touched upon the basis of positionality and how it is this which shapes not only the art you create but also the art you listen and connect to; e.g. your race, culture, heritage, age, gender, religion, etc… This for me was an interesting concept as it apposed the question of what actually is sound art subjective snd objectively. Some members of the class stated that it is sound that was “intentionally made”. However once again linking back to Sam Auinger’s work on urban planning he uses traffic noises, which I am sure drivers had no intention of making art. Others in the class also stated that music is not sound art. This I disagree with entirely! To me, my subjective point of view on sound art is that any sound ever can be made into art and who is to decipher whether it fits into the category of “sound art” or “sound”. A common example used was a bird singing or other animals creating animal noises. To one that may just be sound whereas to others that can be sound art, or in some senses music! Although I agree music follows more traditional concepts such as musicality, rhythm, and melody; an array of organised sound. However, this does not mean it can not be sound art. This phrase overlaps into so many genres and I don’t believe there is one set answer. When recently watching a documentary on the making of ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ – The Beatles, it was described that during the bridge of ‘A Day In The Life’ the orchestra was told to play any random notes so long as they didn’t correspond to the person sat next to them. This reflects the idea that although it is widely known as music it is not organised and could be used as an idea or concept as sound art. This piece for me uses sound to create and evoke so much emotion and feeling which is what I believe sound art does. So can I not call it sound art yet? It uses sound as the medium to tackle someone’s feelings based on their positionality and contextual background. Similarly, Sound Art for the screen is a commonly used practice, however, does this give composers such as Hans Zimmer the right to be called a “Sound Artist” or do they just create organise music.  Although one should be known as what one wants it to be known as – to me there is no differentially between the two. Sound Art is the tree and their style or genres are the branches and the leaves. I look to approach and use this theory within my future work and hope to develop a sound that creates feeling and touches someone based on the context and subjectiveness of the piece. I don’t believe in restricting any sound from the subject as “Sound Art” and hope to continue this in the most unique and creative way I possibly can. Any sound can be sound art it’s just whether or not it suits your positionality.

“Sound Art is an art that can be heard”- Tate