Last week's discussion about sound as a medium was fairly interesting, especially in the discussion of the distinction between music and art. Things I took away from it:
- Images are not syntactic; they do not have common elements with written language, in terms of syntax and how we have come to interpret them.
- When we observe sound art, whether it is a silence or at full volume, it reminds us we must listen very closely - it pulls the use of a specific sense we have that I think we might often take for granted; or we use it so frequently that certain abnormalities of that ability tend to pass us by unless we are asked to think about it. It reminds me of visual things we take for granted in a way - much of what we see is framed by what we know, and what we can assume from our past experiences. With sound, I think it could operate similarly, and some artworks can reflect those differences such as a room with no echoes or vibrations. It changes the experience of sound more than one could imagine.
- I think the lines between music and art are blurred, and that's OK. Within the contemporary world, I think genres exist but more or less they are getting broken down by works that tend to cross-over, or collaborate with other art forms. What makes one thing music and another thing art? I think it's the intention, and the "kind of art" it is. Popular art forms exist, as well as fine art forms, and they all find a way to simultaneously live or cross over in the reality of the art world as it is today. It all goes back to intention and how the work is framed to be perceived by the artist(s).
- Images are not syntactic; they do not have common elements with written language, in terms of syntax and how we have come to interpret them.
- When we observe sound art, whether it is a silence or at full volume, it reminds us we must listen very closely - it pulls the use of a specific sense we have that I think we might often take for granted; or we use it so frequently that certain abnormalities of that ability tend to pass us by unless we are asked to think about it. It reminds me of visual things we take for granted in a way - much of what we see is framed by what we know, and what we can assume from our past experiences. With sound, I think it could operate similarly, and some artworks can reflect those differences such as a room with no echoes or vibrations. It changes the experience of sound more than one could imagine.
- I think the lines between music and art are blurred, and that's OK. Within the contemporary world, I think genres exist but more or less they are getting broken down by works that tend to cross-over, or collaborate with other art forms. What makes one thing music and another thing art? I think it's the intention, and the "kind of art" it is. Popular art forms exist, as well as fine art forms, and they all find a way to simultaneously live or cross over in the reality of the art world as it is today. It all goes back to intention and how the work is framed to be perceived by the artist(s).
Linden Glendhill, colorful sound sculptures "making paint dance" for a Canon Pixma campaign
