Sound Arts – Interesting Finds.

MOMA Sound Art Museum

MOMA installed a 1961 sound art work by Yoko Ono in its atrium.  It consisted of a live standing microphone and some extremely loud amplifiers. Anyone passing through the atrium was invited to stand in front of the mike and follow the instructions in the title: that is, scream. The piece stayed in place for months, turning the museum into a sonic hell. The sounds of silence and natural ambiance to create this effect.

The wall have been designed by putting more than 250 speakers that produces the noise that has been recorded by the instrument. the speakers come together to produce a sound very much closer to detonation.


 

This is a video of how silence has been incorporated into films to create certain atmospheres and engaging sequences. This shows how vital and essential sound is to media art, in this case film.

Martin Scorsese, a famous composer has used silence to build up emotions and the video depicts and breaks down what effect silence has on the audience in numerous films that he did.

The lack of sound is a very abstract and unique part of sound that has not been ventured by a lot of people which makes it very interesting when it’s done with a purpose.


#1

Artist: Yoko Ono

#2

Artist: Martin Scorsese

 

 

Reading Assignment – Sound Art.

What is sound?

Sound is basically multiple layers of vibrations that travel through the air or another medium that can be heard when they reach us. In the world, sounds are anything that can produce or can be used to produce noise. In the world of arts, fine art, sounds is understood as more than just noise, it’s music. There’s popular music and Classical music which works in different ways to bring about emotions and ideas through sound.

How has it been use in culture and society?

Sound, music as we refer to, is used in many ways in the society and culture. According to the article, sounds has been represented in numerous exhibitions as music, kinetic sculpture, instruments activated by the wind or played by the public, conceptual art, sound effects, recorded readings of prose or poetry, visual artworks which also make sound, paintings of musical instruments, musical automatons. Sounds also have taken a huge role in film, video, technological demonstrations, acoustic re-enactments, interactive computer programs which produce sound, and more. Throughout the years, sounds have taken vital roles in shaping culture and the society we live in through the numerous examples listed above.

What makes it an art?

Sound is so abstract and cast. People use this element of sound to go about conveying messages and emotions to their target audience far beyond what music has to offer. Sound creates complexity and multiple layers to art works. Even silence (absence of any sound) can bring about eerie emotions within us and also feel hooked to the art form we see and perceive.

How does advancement in audio technology affect our sense?

The invention of phonographs widely expanded the knowledge of sound/noise/music. In one single recording, the machine can capture three different types of waveform each unique to one another.

First is the actual recording itself. Second the sound from the horns of the phonograph, and third the sound of the actual recording itself. Even though the other two sounds are regarded as “neglectable”, the noises created shifts away from the original and raw recording of the sound. Accompanying that, there is a back-drop noise also known as hear-strip that distracts the people from hearing the actual recording.