According to an equation I found, at 120 beats per minute, each beat of a song is 44 feet apart (or 13.4112 metres). Multiplying that by the total number of beats in the music, get the song length in metres. Divided by 1000, we get kilometres.
With this in mind, at 75 bpm, one minute of Karma Police by Radiohead has frequencies equal to 1.0 km in distance.
With that in mind, since our critique I have chosen a different song to represent my kilometre of sound wave frequencies. So Much I by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, though a song that is 149 beats per minute, when played at half-time, is the equivalent of 75 bpm, meaning 30 seconds is 1 km! I chose this song specifically because not only do I have a deep appreciation for Red Hot Chili Peppers, but my dad and I went on a 510.7 km drive from Toronto to Pittsburgh this summer to see them perform, a road trip on which we listened to copious amounts of RHCP. Not only does 30 seconds of the song represent a km in distance, but the band as a whole is a reflection of the distance I (and my father) will go to see something as special as live music. Here are my favourite 30 seconds from So Much I, the part where I can best envision differing sound waves:
I chose Pippa’s “Open My Glade (Flatten)”, projected in New York’s Time Square. She created a video series of sixteen one-minute videos of her face and body being pressed against glass. For the majority of the display, the framing she used was close-up, unflattering angles of her squashed face against glass, with plenty of unusual facial expressions. She shoots the videos to demonstrate vulnerability amongst unflattering angles and closeup filming of her body, with the intention of bringing to light some of the issues surrounding the way women are perceived and sexualized in modern media. The chosen framing lets the viewer get closer to her than one would normally get to a stranger, focusing primarily on her mouth, nose, and eyes, highlighting some of the most commonly sexualized features of a woman, and emphasizing said features even more so through the use of smeared makeup.
This installation is less about the sound and more about visual appeal, as well as shock value, specifically with its later installation as a part of the Midnight Minute project in Times Square. Though this was not the original installation for this piece, it aids in the strikingness of the work. It does so as a result of the scale. Because of the magnitude of the scale of the screens in Times Square, the piece is that much more shocking. There is a high degree of vulnerability associated with this piece, which is only enhanced by the enlargement of Pippa’s features and facial distortion. I appreciate her work and the ideas it represents surrounding the portrayal of women in media, and have much respect for her as an artist as well as her ability to expose herself in the name of her art.
I think that for the most part, TikTok is a bit of a step backwards, in the sense that it only aids in reinforcing the idea that we must portray perfection in the media. We emphasize the importance of acknowledging a digital footprint, which is consequential to a degree – but this idea has been taken to the far end of the spectrum and encourages the need for perfection. I agree that it is a platform that aids in creator success and promoting small businesses as well as new artists. That being said, I think if there were more creators with Pippa’s ideals and disregard for what is deemed “acceptable” as far as the portrayal of oneself in the media, then it would become a different platform, likely one less focused on creating the perfect aesthetically pleasing existence.
With that in mind, this is not to take away from those who have pushed away this narrative regardless of its hold on the rest of the generation. Have I ever seen a close-up of someone’s running makeup and squashed face against glass? Or watched someone walk down the street and smash others’ belongings in the name of art (as opposed to being a prank)? No. However, what I have seen is many people try and disassemble this generational need for perceived perfection through their own forms of art, some more sophisticated than others. For that I would say with the right creators gaining notability, the app could make a reasonably drastic shift, one that facilitates an online environment that values challenging those ideas of feminine sexuality, perfectionism, and the female body in media.
I accidentally wore my shirt inside out the other day, and admittedly I did not notice much of a difference in how I was being perceived until I was made aware that my shirt was inside out. That being said, even then there was a very minimal shift in attitudes towards me. Perhaps the odd second look, but aside from that, I was treated as if nothing was the matter. I would argue that there would need to be an underlying purpose fueling my actions for this to be a performance. I believe that most things can be given artistic license in the right content, as long as there is meaning or significance to their artistic display. I don’t think everything is art, I think art is intentional. I think art is what the artist wants it to be and how the viewer perceives it. That being said, I feel there is reason in every act of artistic display.
Field trip!
I attended the Binomial of Art a week after the class, as I was unavailable for the first trip.
IKUMAGIALIIT (Translated to Those that Need Fire) is a beautiful performance displayed at the TMU Image Arts Centre in one of their studios. It is a series of performances created by a quartet of Indigenous women from Nunavut and Toronto. This display, named “Full Blood” focused more specifically on a video from 2021 with emphasis on elements of land, body, and womanhood. It was an intricate and beautiful performance, performed in Kalaallisut, a Greenlandic language, the tongue of one of the artists Laakkuluk.
Video Assignment
Sequence
This sequence is about playing with hair and hair care. Everyone has their little ticks and habits when it comes to hair, and here, we decided to document each of our habits, reflected in our different hair textures. From cutting to chewing to twisting and tangling, sometimes we don’t even notice these habits. They are so mundane that we don’t notice them or their significance, except they are a part of who we are. With that in mind, we broke down each habit and turned the spotlight to highlight each movement.
One Shot
With our one shot, we chose to break down the idea of hair care, specifically with the hair mask. With unlimited access to the internet, ideas of what is good and “healthy” for us are easily perpetuated, regardless of the credibility of the source. With that in mind, according to the internet, a credible source of course, mayonnaise, eggs, and oil are key components of any good hair mask, and hair masks are crucial in maintaining healthy hair. Hair masks are hydrating, and keep your hair luscious and long while maintaining its bounce and lustre.
Loop
Lastly, we have the loop. The loop is about hair care and playing with hair, specifically through a hair train. Growing up, playing with each other’s hair was a way of bonding. Creating hair trains at recess was a way to connect regardless of hair type, colour, or texture, coming together with the shared interest in braiding and hair twisting. Some people knew what they were doing, while others just enjoyed being a part of it.
Notes About Pauline Oliveros’ Sonic Mediations
Pauline Oliveros’ Sonic Meditations is a collection of text-based compositions published in the early 1970s. The goal for these mediations is to reimagine traditional music, by focusing on sound as an experiential and communal interaction, creating space for active listening and mindfulness. The work was influenced by the countercultural movements of the 70s, an era of change in identity and art, which emphasized aspects of human life such as mindfulness, self-awareness, and collective experience. One of the purposes of this piece is to open up listening to anyone with ears, meaning as opposed to technical, heavily structured sound, Sonic Meditations is accessible to anyone willing to listen, taking away from some of the pretension in the music industry.
The specific text of Sonic Meditations consists of simple instructions that are meant to guide individuals and groups through auditory and sensory exercises. The goal is for these instructions to be open-ended, allowing each participant to interpret and experience them uniquely. An example would be one set of instructions telling participants to “Take a walk at night. Walk so silently that the bottoms of your feet become ears,” thus encouraging a heightened awareness of surroundings, something that we may not typically consider. As we know, we don’t always see/hear what we’re not looking for.
These pieces utilize the practice of deep listening. Deep listening is allowing oneself the time and space to fully absorb what they’re hearing. Oliveros’ approach was deeply influenced by this concept. It involves a level of attentiveness to both the external sounds as well as the internal responses, the goal being to forge a deeper connection with one’s environment, others, and even oneself. With that in mind, through Sonic Meditations, participants are encouraged to fully immerse themselves in the act of listening. This entails focusing on minuscule responses, things we wouldn’t normally consider, such as heartbeats, breathing rate, and pulse.
Aside from the physical practice of deep listening, communal aspects are present in Sonic Meditations that are arguably more important. Mostly, these meditations are designed for group participation, with each member contributing (not only through voice!) to the soundscape. The purpose of this is to reinforce a sense of collaboration, while still giving participants a chance to shine individually. This is in line with your typical soundscape, the group becoming an ensemble of sound. Through this act of centering the experience around communal participation, Oliveros challenges the traditional narrative of music presentation and the dynamic of performer versus audience, facilitating an experience of co-creation.
With all that in mind, the feature that sets these pieces apart from the rest is the emphasis on the creative process, as opposed to the finished work. As a result, there are no correct methods of interaction regarding the mediation, simply self-expression. As with a viewer’s interpretation of any art piece, each participant’s interpretation contributes to the ever-evolving soundscape, making each meditation unrepeatable, and therefore unique, an approach not unlike those of the avant-guard movement.
Audio Assignment – Rewind the Tape
Update: Having trouble uploading, being fixed as we speak
For this assignment, I chose to demonstrate voice maturation by overlapping my childhood voice with my voice now. I repeated my side of the conversation, only the parts I thought I would repeat now as an adult with my updated answer, and overlayed/delayed them. I had originally thought to incorporate my dad’s current voice into this assignment, except he lives across the country, and phone recordings weren’t working the way I wanted them to. This brought me to the conclusion that the lack of his presence is indicative of how our relationship has changed as a result of growing up, and it would thus be more effective if adult me was having this conversation with my dad from fifteen years ago.
Photos For Conceptual Portrait – To Be Hung
This photo series is a conceptual portrait of my home, and life with four other roommates. This is done by way of photographing some of our foods – foods we all have in different variations, that fight over space in our small kitchen. I considered doing this through objects such as toiletries or the contents of our bags, but decided that this would be more telling of who we are, as we have to be selective about what gets to take up space on each of our shelves.
Conceptual Buttons
My buttons are based on Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth, and her green “Girls Invented Punk Rock (Not England)” t-shirt. With that, I created a series titled “Punk Rock”. The words Punk Rock have held negative connotations in some circles, though the current scene is full of positivity and acceptance amongst alternative people. With that in mind, “Punk Rock” is used as a positive in this series, naming the good as Punk Rock, and the bad as NOT Punk Rock. Women are Punk Rock, periods are Punk Rock and Mother Nature? Punk Rock. Things that oppose these forces? NOT Punk Rock.
Add some context/description/your own words and reflections with any references to your videos Sophie, Ok? DB