Project proposal

Project Proposal

Visualizing sound waves in objects

1:Definition of the project

In this project, I am researching how to transform auditory messages to visual representation, in order to understand how different senses cooperate together and how human perceive the world. There is a limitation in human’s auditory sense, which only can receive the frequency range from 20Hz to 20,000Hz. Can human perceive sound through vision？Is there any possible that human identify different types of music such as rock music, classical music, symphony and solos through eyes instead of ears? Can people see the ultrasound and infrasonic？The project will explore above questions and try to find the answer.

2:Aims+ objectives

The project aims to expand the way and the range of sound perception, finding a way to capture or extend the short moments of music and record them.

I try to use a physical way of visualizing sound into objects that can be seen and touched and not just heard. Because the physical vibration brings objective rules, without specific personal emotion which could create more resonance with viewers. The plan is to make a set of ceramic sculpture that be shaped by sound vibrsations, so that people can directly see the different types of sound. The low frequency and hign frequency will produce totally different shape. I hope to create an experience similar with synaesthesia, that means, to motivate a hearing feeling when audience see the different pattern of sound waves.

3:Context

The background of this project is mainly about synaesthesia and cymatics, the former relates to the meaning of this topic, the latter is the methodology, which leads me to focus on sound wave. The idea of transform sound waves to physical objects is inspired by synaesthesia. This special multi-sensory experience is good for artists, some of famous artists have experienced synaesthesia, perhaps best known is Wassily Kandinsky, who painted music by seeing music in colour, line and form, and composer Scriabin have. That is to say, he broke down the barrier between hearing sense and visual sense. However according to Harrison’s research, synaesthetes appear to be fairly few and far between, the figure is as few as 0.0005% of the population (Harrison, 2001). If there are objects that can trigger two or more senses at the same time, could ordinary people experience the similar world with synaesthetes？This might be a way to expand our perception.

Inspired by cymatics, a study of visualizing sound by vibration, transforming auditory sense to visual sense by physical vibration is a method that can be used in design field. Ernest Chladni（1756-1827）who known as ”the father of acoustics” created the Chladni plate，it shows different pattern by sands on the metal board, depends the different vibration of sound. In 1967, Hans Jenny(1904-1972) coined the term cymatics (Hans, 2001). Cymatics is a tool that can show the hidden world, for example, translate dolphin language by visualizing the sonar beams, which human can not hear but could see it.

Synaesthete can experience mixing of sense, which makes they perceive the world in an extraordinary way. Cymatics offers physical methodology to visualizing sounds. If an object can translate auditory sense to visual sense, it will be an unexpected experience that can expand the perceptive mode of ordinary people.

Some related artists

Wallvave vibration (Loris Cecchini, 2012)

In the series of sculptures “Wallwave Vibrations”, Artist Loris Cecchini liquefied the walls of art galleries through sound waves. Each pattern of pieces is produced by digital way and then seamlessly applied to a flat surface with polyester resin. In this way, it presented the relationship between the sound and visual sence.

Solid vibrations (Olivier van Herpt and Ricky van Broekvhen, 2015)

Artists Oliver van Herpt and Ricky van Broekvhen are deep acoustic sounds to shape the clay into intricate fabric-like patterns, they created a series of ceramic vessel called “Solid vibrations” which applied the sound waves in ceramic by a speaker and 3D printer.

Inspired by this two project，I consider that since the sound wave can be translate to a plane, it might can shape the 3d objects by vibrations. If I put several same bawls or vases on the speakers, play different types of music even a recitation ancient scripture to them, then, could I get the different shape of them? Could I shape the ceramic object with out hand and 3D printing, just by speaker？

Suspect sounds( Klaus Osterwald 2008)

The Cologne artist Klaus Osterwald also utilizes the results of acoustic analyses in the development of visual forms. He forms sculptures, transforming the temporal processes and release curves of daily sounds into three-dimensional objects of ceramics. He has been gathering the sounds since 1998, when he began the project ‘artistic eavesdropping’, he interested to collect different sounds such as gas bubbling up from the bottom and plants producing oxygen that are easily be ignored in our daily life.

Inspired by him, I consider to collect the sound that out the range of human hearing such as the infrasonic wave (the frequency is lower than 20 Hertz sound waves) and the ultrasound waves( the frequency is higer than 20K Hertz sound) such as some dolphins’ sound that human can not hear, I can try to let people see it.

4:Methodology

I plan to shape ceramic and soft wax through speaker instead of hand.

the physical vibration of sound wave will force soft materials to change their shape. According to the theory of cymatics, that different sound frequency create different vibrations, I will get different shape through different sound.

Put the souft material upon the speaker, then play different kinds of music, the material will be shaped by different sound frequency. I’ll separate the sound frequency to two part, the one is human-audible sounds, I will use speaker to play different types of music such as classical music, rock, solo and symphony. The second part is ultrasonic sounds and infrasonic wave that over our hearing sense, I’ll using sound instruments to make the sound and try to visualize it in 3D objects.

On the other way, instead of shape material directly, I might can use water as a medium, soak the soft wax into warm water, then vibrate them together. The water will translate vibration evenly into the soft wax.

5:Planned Outcomes

About the final work, it will be a series of ceramic sculpture or metal sculpture without function, clustering by the type of sound, or the frequency of sound. Meanwhile, the shaping process with sound will be shown by a video.

6.Project work plan

A: (10/2016) Experiment different materials with speaker, and chose 2 main materials.

I tied to use speaker to shape the thin ceramic, the sound wave is between 50Hz to 100Hz. If the ceramic it too thick, the vibration can not change it’s shape. Thus, in the next step I need a Chladni plate which can create strong vibration than normal speaker, then I can try the lower sound frequency and higher sound frequency.

B: (11~12/2016) Experiment with a professional vibration generator and find the rule of shaping by sound.

I’ve already experimented some 3D objects through slip casting and soft wax. Slip casting is not a good choice because it’s easy to collapse during the process of vibration. Soft wax can be shaped in the warm water, water is a useful medium to transform sound vibration, I could explore more casting material that can work with water. Such as pouring the wax to the cold water, it might cast the water wave produced by sound.

C: (01/2017) Collecting the specific sound with meaning.

Need to research more the meaning of sound.

Observe the sound which always been ignored but important in our life.

Chose the sound I will use to create final work.

D: (02/2017)Trying translate ultrasound wave by specific medium.

E: (03/2017)Start to make the final work and adjustment.

7:Bibliography

E. Cytowic, R and M. Eagleman, D. 2011. Wednesday Is Indigo Blue: Discovering the Brain of Synesthesia, London: MIT Press.

Williams, H. 2014. How synaesthesia inspires artists.

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20140904-i-see-songs-in-colour?icid=cul.tvl.sto.cross-site-series.bc.life-in-color_week2

Harrison, J. 2001. Synaesthesia: The Strangest Thing, Oxford, Oxford, University Press.

Hans, J. 2001. Cymatics: A Study of Wave Phenomena and Vibration, New York: Newmarket.

Bonet, F. 2010. Interview and texts, Le Journal des Artes, No.321, Perpignan, French Art Publications.

Turner, E. 2016. ART REVIEW: Kundera Homage Exhibition Reveals Contrast Between Lightness and Weight http://hamptonsarthub.com/2016/03/18/art-review-kundera-homage-exhibition-reveals-contrast-between-lightness-and-weight/

Harrison. K. 2011. Ceramics Resident: Keith Harrison

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/c/keith-harrison/

Trigg, D. 2011. Artist in Focus: Keith Harrison

http://blog.jerwoodvisualarts.org/?p=681

Osterwald. K. 2015. Short report of my artistic work during the residency at the Universidad EI Bosque and the Museo de Art Contemporaneo in 2015

http://www.facartes.unal.edu.co/residenciasartisticas/artistas/klaus_osterwald/klaus_osterwald.pdf

Soap and light visualise sound vibrations in Dagny Rewera's installation., 2014.

http://www.dezeen.com/2014/03/01/rca-graduate-dagny-rewera-uses-soap-and-light-to-visualise-sound/

O'regan, J.K., 2011. Why Red Doesn't Sound Like a Bell: Understanding the feel of consciousness, Oxford University Publishers: New York.