I talked in an earlier post about the sounds of my apartment, of my environment. I'd like to talk now about other sounds in my life, and how both I experience them and employ them.
Music is a really important part of my everyday life, and a very important part of my studio practice. A pin-drop quiet studio frankly makes me kind of sad, and I am always happy to DJ a shared studio space, find out what music other people like, and even introduce them to new music. Music in a shared studio can spark conversation and getting to know one another better, and music in a solo studio can make it less lonely. Music provided a refuge for me as a teenager - the punk scene, its politics and freedom really helped me feel comfortable in forming my young identity. I then went on to work in music - I was a college radio station manager, and then a booking agent for a club and a promoter for live concerts, and eventually in public relations and radio promotion for records. Music has always had a prime place in my life, and often matches up with life events or even phases in my life. It also plays an important role in my artwork, in making my work. For me, music provides momentum, something to keep time to, and actually keeps me from getting distracted. I've always had a large and diverse record collection, and I like to listen to different styles of music when I'm in different moods, at different times of the day or night, and also depending on what sort of project I'm working on. I can listen to music to match my mood, or change my mood.
Artwork:
When I make animations, I employ a sort of unusual technique, and I choose to present them silently. I have never included a soundtrack of music, dialogue, or even ambient noise. I also choose to employ a slower frame rate for my animations. All of this slows the viewer, and the experience down. I feel like the silence is somewhat unexpected and necessitates paying really close attention. Silence can help uncanny moments come to light. Silence asks more of a viewer, and it can be uncomfortable, but it can facilitate a kind of intimacy with the work. The only sounds a viewer will hear could be their own breathing, their heartbeat, and any sounds from their environment. I think there's a power in this. Though, with my newfound Audacity/Hokusai skills, I may experiment with adding my own ambient sounds - whether they match the subject matter, or if they mimic the viewing experience (breathing, heartbeat, etc.)
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