Return Journey

Interview of the self

What did you find most captivating about the Sound Building project?

I found the material presented during the brief astonishingly prolific and this fascinated me that sound devices whether instrumentally musical or purely investigative have been the labours of many people, even over the course of centuries!

Why did you choose marbles as a means of sounding your instrument?

It was immediately clear to me that striking an object would allow relatively obvious percussive potential. I deliberately wanted to use a more unorthodox means for emitting sound waves from my instrument, and so was intrigued by the challenge of creating identifiably sustained tones.

Are there any observations you'd care to share about your project ?

My experience of the instrument was that I felt quite a personal connection develop to it. Specifically for example, during the practice and the actual performance - where i found myself immersed within its physical/aural space almost oblivious to others. I've never surfed, but I imagine it would be like entering the funnel tube of an intense wave.

What part of the process did you find most difficult?

I think for myself, that having very little exposure or experience in fabrication or knowledge of tools and materials did not for make for informed structural design or construction but I have to say that I felt a little more comfortable in the 3d lab environment. The technicians are amazingly helpful!

What advice would you give, if any, to anyone considering instrument making - given your recent experience?

I would definitely recommend trying to literally sound out actual materials while certainly sourcing them as well as post acquisition. What I mean is - I think it's important not be afraid to engage the items - that is, try and use all your available senses to investigate the sonic or acoustic properties of source materials. Amplification can be generally applied as a secondary measure, so if you can manifest something intriguing literally through playing around, I think there's a good chance that this can be infused into the overall dynamic of the instrument.

How do you think sound could help artists in in other creative mediums?

I think there is an inextricably but subtlely interwoven relationship between sound and other perhaps more immediately tangible mediums in that, we seem to detect sound on a far more subconscious level than say visual stimuli; yet the impact of aural experience can often be remarkably unaccounted for. My personal opinion is that investigation of 'perceivably visible' space can be accompanied by exploration of the same with aural spatial relationships in mind. I feel this this cultivates an interdisciplinary and augmentative approach; for multidimensional output.

Object Interview

Interviewing my own object (Sacre-Coeur souvenir)

1 How old are you?

It's difficult to gauge accurately as my 'finish' is relatively intact

2 Is Paris really where you were originally acquired?

Yes, actually in Montmartre in 2004 as a souvenir

3 Are your 'miniature' details reasonably correct representatively?

They give a good impression for someone uninformed

4 What does Sacre-Coeur mean?

It's French for sacred heart?

5 Although you are a model, what is the authentic object made from?

Sacre-Coeur is built of travertine stone, which constantly exudes

calcite that allows the structure remains white

6 Do you have any attributes that are difficult to detect?

When viewed topographically, you will see that the architectural symmetry posits the form of a cross

7 Are you hollow inside?

I do not contain any hidden treasures!

8 What materials are you made from?

I have been made from die cast iron(a mould)

9 What do the numbers 42.78.45.94 signify?

I believe these refer to specific areas of the arrondisement Paris city divisions

10 Are you a typical Parisienne tourist souvenir?

My depiction as a place of worship is pertinent to Montmartre

11 What does the rooster on the coat of arms mean?

In relationship to the Church, the French rooster In the Middle Ages, the Gallic Rooster was widely used as a religious symbol, the sign of hope and faith

12 Where did you reside after acquisition?

I have resided in France,Germany, England and New Zealand

13 Where are you mainly displayed ?

I tend to be situated in the lounge on top of the stereo...don't ask me why!

14 Are you accompanied by any other items of unique description?

I occupy space with a cheap,average sized - retro coin (plastic) bubblegum dispenser

15 There are creases on your base inset. How did you get them?

I guess this is from being transported around in hand luggage and my transmigratory experience in general

16 There is a slight gap between the adjoining lower stem of the tower and surrounding structure. Is this intentional?

No. The tower is a separately inserted piece, but afterwards glued in situ

17 What sort of tower is it?

Actually, as a bell tower - the real TOWER itself was also ADDED in 1904 (cast in 1895) while designed by Lucien Magne

18 How heavy is the tower?

It weighs in reality 19 tons!

19 Who designed the main Sacre-Coeur?

Paul Abadie was my architect, and his name is inscribed as 'P.Abadi - 1875 -1919'

20 What does Montmartre mean?

Montmarte is synonymous with the highest point of Paris

Unpacking - Object Interview

We each chose a total 3 objects from fellow students. Taking them, we proceeded to 'interview' them, asking a series of 20 questions for each. The following are my three initial source interview questions/answers.

pillow case

1 What type of environment are you predominantly kept in, if indeed singularly located?

I spend most of my time in a drawer in a bedroom, unless taken out for use or transported to other rooms or other locations (e.g holiday)

2 When were you acquired?

At least 5-6 yrs ago

3 How were you aqcuired?

I was bought at a market

4 Does your character (image) hold any personal significance for its owner? How?

Yes. My owner adores Donald Duck and likes Disney cartoon characters in general

5 Do you belong to an organised set?

No, I am the only one in relationship to my owner

6 Have you ever been damaged?

No, but have been near naked flame

7 How often are you used?

Only when my owner is feeling depressed

8 Are you used by more than one person?

No, I am exclusively used by my owner

9 Has your colour faded?

Yes, a little bit

10 Have you always had an image?

No, my owner gave me a transfer

11 Do you have a unique name?

Yes, pillyD

12 Have you been discarded dispassionately?

Never

13 Have you ever been misplaced or lost?

I was close to being lost while on school camp

14 Have you been repaired?

No, although not without anxiety for such

15 Have you ever made your owner cry?

Yes. When I was presumed lost

16 Have you ever caused an argument?

Yes. Over being used by owner's sibling

17 Have you been stained?

Yes. I've had ice cream dropped on me

18 What objects have you contained?

Pillows mostly, but once a extra padded jacket

19 Have you been used as a weapon?

Yes, included as one during pillow fights

20 Would you miss your owner?

Yes, very much

electronic (Creative) device

1 Would you prefer to be a different colour?

No. I like being black

2 Are you operated consistently?

Very often

3 Would you choose to have more buttons?

Yes, I would prefer to be adorned with lots

4 Do other devices make you jealous?

Absolutely

5 Do reflections bother you?

From time to time

6 Are you impervious to temperature/elements?

No. I am a very sensitive device requiring great care

7 Do you like your logo attached?

I think it could be more iconic

8 Where are you contained as a place of care?

Normally in my ower's bag

9 Have you been used to hold food or drink?

Unfortunately, yes

10 Are you happy about your shape?

I wouldn't mind a few more curves

11 Do you think you should be smaller or larger?

I believe being larger would help me function

12 Are you ever shared indiscriminately?

At times I experience ambivalence of importance

13 Have you been present during moments of intimacy?

Er.... discretely tucked away and not powered up!

14 Do you consider your performance satisfactory?

Why yes. Yes I do.

15 Are afraid of being replaced?

Every operating minute of my day

16 Are you attached to anything else in order to function?

No not really, but I am included as part of multitasking

17 Do you lose energy or power?

If I'm not recharged

18 Do you consider that you respond well to interaction?

I suspect that I frustrate my owner due to response times

19 Which button do you find pushed the most?

The largest I posess!

20 Do you prefer to be face up or down?

I actually prefer to be placed face down

balloon/ribbon

1 Are you a certain length for a particular reason?

No not particularly. i just happen to be this long

2 What were you initially attached to?

I wasn't. I was bought freshly in a packet

3 Were you present at an auspicious occasion?

Yes, it was a wedding anniversary

4 Have you tied anything up rather than being tied?

I was used to tie a collection of other balloons

5 Does being the sum of two parts create a sense of belonging?

I'd rather not talk about that

6 Have you been transformed from a different physical state?

I was not crimped and my balloon was full of air before being attached and later bursting

7 Does being the colour red signify anything specifically?

No, but perhaps it could if you really wanted it to

8 Have you ever been stored in a dark place?

I have been in transitory dark rooms preceding large amounts of light

9 Have you had to share space with similar objects?

Yep. Other balloons and wrapped gifts with ribbons

10 Would you prefer to be separated?

Actually, i'm over balloon boy (feelings mutual 'floppy')

11 Does it piss you off that you were not discarded?

No, in fact I like the fact that i'm kept as something of value (apart from B-Boy above)

12 Do you consider yourself rubbish?

Hell no

13 Have you experienced weightlessness?

Well, with - in this case - help from you know who (that's right skinny!)

14 Have you been recaptured after being free?

Balloon and I have floated around non-chalantly at times

15 Would you change your texture if you could?

No, I like being ribbed. Can't speak for rubber face

16 Does it feel constricting to be tied at one end of your form?

Sometimes I feel a little asphyxiated

17 What does the sensation of gravity feel like for you?

A bit like being on a train that stops and you feel your centre still moving

18 Did you fulfil ceremonial augmentation of the occasion you were initially present?

I haven't had any complaints

19 Have you experienced insufferable tension?

At times it's been 'tight' squeezed in between a bunch of others like myself

20 Have you ever been given as a gift?

Only as a complementary decorative material to them

Maya Visualization

After being set an exercise, us BCTeilers were required to construct miniature paper shapes (with some templates provided - cheers James!) which we were encouraged to expand/explore/and otherwise experiment, altering the shapes which were to number 36 in total.

These shapes would be placed on a 1200mm x 1200mm grid of 6 squares by 6 squares to allow visualization of morphing patterns possible between shapes as continuity markers. This facilitates x-fertilization of spatial problem solving visually, beyond 2D space on a flat screen, by literally working in 3D space.

From this grid we chose a singular shape to import into a powerful multifunctional software called Maya. We then recreated our chosen shape to model and render as a frame for posting. The following image is my result. Maya appears enormously powerful as software.

Looking forward to learning more about this!

Sound Building

(to view images please click and wait)

Ideas/Concepts and Visualisation

(to view images please click and wait)