When there is silence,
the environment screams
First of all, let's discuss two of John Cage's perspectives towards silence.
1st - Silence is music. Silence is art:
4 minutes and 33 seconds
of an orchestrated piece
that has nothing
but
silence.
So I ask you:
"Is silence always art?"
If so, then, is this art?
YES?
NO?
It is just a quiet library after all.
So would you be surprised if I told you I've changed the audios between the videos?
2nd - There is no such thing as silence.
There is always a sound emitter.
It is either the surrounding
or oneself.
<see anechoic chamber video>
For this perspective, I believe cage was fully right.
'Sound' is constant.
Always surrounding us.
Takes one to stop hearing and start listening to see this. Or hear.
With that in mind, the notion of SOUND AS ENVIRONMENT is born.
The environment is always speaking.
It talks to us constantly,
but we do not pay close attention.
However,
when there is silence,
it screams.
I'll give you 1 simple example:
1. STOP! Listen to your surrounding.
Do it now.
Do it in the library.
Do it at home.
Do it in the shower
Do it at the beach
Do it anywhere.
And you will hear sound.
Do it now.
Do it in the library.
Do it at home.
Do it in the shower
Do it at the beach
Do it anywhere.
And you will hear sound.
Nevertheless,
it does not mean it can be art.
Would you say the following video is art?
The footage was taken at Coogee Beach (Sydney, Australia)
But the audio was replaced by "Notus", by Cristof Minoge
(Which is part of the series named "South Winds")
So is it still art? Was it ever? Either the video or the audio?
I believe no.
I believe no.
Nature is beautiful,
and so are the sounds it produces.
But the same way 'not all art is beautiful',
not all beauty is art.
Art is,
by definition,
'the expression or application of human creative skills and imagination'.
Nature is not art.
It CAN BE art.
But it isn't.
Example 1 of Nature as Art:
INTERPRETATION THROUGH AUDIO JUXTAPOSITION
Here the performer utilizes the waves sounds as a guideline to his percussion composition. Synchronizing rhythm and intensity.
AUDIO: Tom Bruynél - Rain
VISUAL: Rain shot with Sony a7s
ALLUSION THROUGH AUDIO SUBSTITUTION
In this audio work, I've combined a visual aspect to contextualize.
Here we observe as Bruynèl alludes to the rainfall through peaceful piano sounds resembling the drops drizzling from above.
so is the sound as environment art?
For me, it is only art when human interference is involved.
Yes, environment produces sounds.
But only human creativity transforms it into art.
