Oct. 7 - Oct. 14, 2021
Partners: Desire, Greta, Jinqi, Ranga
Brief: Design a tool or instrument that enables you to access the invisible, the unmeasurable, the intangible on London’s streets.
For this brief, we were asked to think about the intangible. Immediately, I thought about the etymology of the word “intangible.” Stemming from the Latin root “tangere,” or, “to touch,” the word “intangible” means that which cannot be touched, not having a physical presence.
Our "Spidey-Senses"
John brought up the example of the octopus and how it can change color based on its surrounding environment, even while it’s asleep. This reminded me that humans started out as primitive beings in the wild as well, and that to survive in the wild, our senses evolved over time to help us scan our immediate surroundings for signs of imminent danger. Although our senses may seem relatively subdued nowadays as we rely on technology such as Google Maps to navigate around an unfamiliar city or “hunt and gather” our food from the local supermarket, our senses still lie deep within us and we can become re-attuned to them by paying attention to our so-called "spidey-senses."
Interconnected Senses
With these thoughts in mind, our group met up in Bishops Square to begin observing our senses and how they interact with the environment. Sitting next to the food carts, we were bombarded by all sorts of different smells. We found that we could recognize the sound of a knife being sharpened in the local food cart without having to see it. Our ears perceived the sound of metal scraping against the sharpener and our brain coded this as metal based on the texture of the sound. This showed us that our senses are all interconnected instead of isolated.
Fieldwork
With pen and paper in hand, we split into two groups and headed off in separate directions to generate even more ideas. Ranga and I walked in the direction of Brick Lane. We chose this because of the variety of sights, smells, and sounds that emanated from that direction. This contrasted with the sterile, flat environment of the business and commercial district near Liverpool Street Station. Walking along the busy A1202 Commercial St. thoroughfare, we quickly noticed how quiet it got as soon as we turned off to the side street. This led us to start thinking about spatial awareness.
Spatial Awareness as Women
Desire, Greta, Jinqi, and I also thought about how we feel as women walking alone at night. Our senses are heightened and our attention zeroes in on any signs of imminent danger. We oftentimes feel more at ease while walking along a busy street with lots of people and lighting than along a dark deserted road with bushes lining the sides. However, we decided to work on a project that would apply to a more general audience, and we eventually set this idea aside (for now!).
Soundscapes
After more discussion, we started thinking about the different sounds we hear throughout the day, and how this divides our day into "chapters." From this, we wanted to create a symphony of sounds from morning to night.
We all recognized that we are international students and experience certain patterns of sounds throughout the day. We decided to go out and record the sounds of London at different times of the day and compile them into a sound clip to immerse the listener in a day in the life of an international student.
Sound Design Ideas
After meeting with John, we received some suggestions for sound design research. We looked into how different sound artists played around with sound and manipulated audience experiences of sound by changing spaces or materials within the space.
Some of the artists that John suggested were Susan Philipsz, Alvin Lucier, and Steve Reich. With Philipsz's work, we noticed how she explores the sculptural potential of sound and incorporates the architecture of the gallery space [1]. With Lucier's "I Am Sitting in a Room" and Reich's "Piano Phase," we observed the layering of sound and how certain sounds can envelop or obscure other sounds. The medium of sound seemed to take on a spatial and physical presence in itself.
So, rather than simply take a flat sound recording, our group wanted to play around with sound textures and layers and create a more immersive listening experience, where it would seem like the sound piece was enveloping the audience.
We made a list of sounds that we wanted to record, and all that was left to do was go out and take some field recordings to compile our soundscape.
Dipping into the Sonic Arts
After recording our sounds around the city, we compiled the recordings into a clip and isolated particular sounds to mimic how certain sounds gain prominence over others throughout the day.
Presentation and Feedback
For our presentation, we dimmed the lights and asked everyone to close their eyes while they listened to the sound clip to create a sense of immersion. After our presentation in class, we received some feedback to perhaps look for patterns in our sound recordings and create a rhythm or soundtrack with these patterns and transform it into "composed chaos." I liked the collective nature of this idea. It was exciting to think about all the different directions that this project could take in the future.
What I Learned
This was my first time experiencing intense groupwork in an academic setting, as my previous university experience consisted mostly of solo research and writing. Part of the design process included navigating personalities and opinions. It was important to be diplomatic when providing feedback/criticism and to be able to work through ideas in a productive manner. I enjoyed working with a group and seeing our ideas come to life in our final prototype.
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