2 p40 Job no : 76098 Title : The Fundamentals Of Sonic Art Client : AVA Scn : # 150 Size : 200(w)230(h)mm Co : M11 C0 (All To Spot)(Coagl) Dept : DTP D/O : 16.02.07 (Job no:76098C1D/O : 09.03.07 Co: CM11) QC Preflight Point 2 nd 00 76098_CTP_040-071.qxd 3/24/07 5:49 AM Page 40 p40 (Job no:76098C1D/O : 09.03.07 Co: CM11) 2 nd 76098_CTP_040-071.qxd 3/24/07 5:49 AM Page 40 QC Preflight Point 2 nd 1111 p41 76098_CTP_040-071.qxd 3/24/07 5:49 AM Page 41 2 nd p41 76098_CTP_040-071.qxd 3/24/07 5:49 AM Page 41 2 nd p41 76098_CTP_040-071.qxd 3/24/07 5:49 AM Page 41 2 nd In this section we meet five artists whose work falls under the umbrella of sonic art. They have been chosen to demonstrate the remarkably wide scope that sonic art encompasses. We can argue the definition of sonic art from any number of standpoints: some musicians claim it to be a sub-set of music whereas, equally, some fine artists claim it as a category within their subject. Interestingly, all our interview subjects regard themselves as sound artists, despite the widely varying forms of practice in which they are involved and this leads us to conclude that such sure identity may possibly be perceived as a threat by the ‘traditional’ disciplines. Artists and their Work p41 76098_CTP_040-071.qxd 3/24/07 5:49 AM Page 41 QC Preflight Point 3 rd 1111 p42 Job no : 76098 Title : The Fundamentals Of Sonic Art Client : AVA Scn : # 150 Size : 200(w)230(h)mm Co : M11 C0 (All To Spot)(Coagl) Dept : DTP D/O : 16.02.07 (Job no:76098C2 D/O : 22.03.07 Co: CM3) 76098_CTP_040-071.qxd 3/24/07 5:49 AM Page 42 3 rd p42 (Job no:76098C2 D/O : 22.03.07 Co: CM3) ARTISTS AND THEIR WORK ‘THE SENSE OF HEARING CANNOT BE CLOSED OFF AT WILL. THERE ARE NO EARLIDS. WE ARE CONTINUALLY ABSORBING AND FILTERING THE SOUNDSCAPE. WHEN WE GO TO SLEEP, OUR PERCEPTION OF SOUND IS THE LAST DOOR TO CLOSE AND IT IS THE FIRST TO OPEN WHEN WE WAKE UP. THE EAR’S ONLY PROTECTION IS AN ELABORATE PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISM FOR FILTERING OUT UNDESIRABLE SOUND IN ORDER TO CONCENTRATE ON THE DESIRABLE. THE EYE POINTS OUTWARD AND THE EAR DRAWS INWARD. IT SOAKS UP INFORMATION.’ JANEK SCHAEFER, ‘AUDIO & IMAGE’ 76098_CTP_040-071.qxd 3/24/07 5:49 AM Page 42 2 QC Prefli g ht g Poin t 2 nd 11 1 1 1 11 1 1 p43 Jo b n o : 7 6 09 8 Ti t l e : Th e Fundamental s Of S oni c A r t Client : AVA S c n : # 1 50 S iz e : 200 ( w ) 230 ( h ) mm Co : M11 C 0 ( Al l T o Spot)(Coagl ) D e pt : DTP D/ O : 1 6 .02.07 (Job no:76098C1D/O : 09.03.07 Co: CM11) 76098_CTP_040-071.qxd 3/24/07 5:50 AM Page 43 2 n ‘ v i m t s s a i y v l n t t s s s a i 2 nd p43 (Job no:76098C1D/O : 09.03.07 Co: CM11) 76098_CTP_040-071.qxd 3/24/07 5:50 AM Page 43 e 2 nd p43 (Job no:76098C1D/O : 09.03.07 Co: CM11) 76098_CTP_040-071.qxd 3/24/07 5:50 AM Page 43 4 3 4 2 ART OR MUSIC ? 1. Hughes, R. (1991) The Shock of the New . London: Thames & Hudson. w 2 Introdu c tio n W h y should traditional discipline s p erceive sonic art as a threat? T o a nswer this , we need to consider ho w d ifferent form s define them s elve s. T raditionally , art meant painting and , p ossibly , sculpture. With the turn o f t he twentieth centur y and th e e mer g ence of new forms such as th e ‘ found ob j ects’ of Kurt Schwitters o r D uchamp’s ‘readymades’ , art responde d by changing the definition of wha t f orm s c ould be c on s idered fo r m embership. Successively , th e D adaists , the Futurists and group s s uch as Fluxus p ushed the membershi p q ualifications further and further awa y f rom the ori g inal simple definitions o f a rt , culminating in the conceptual ar t o f the end of the centur y . In thi s r espect , at least , we can argue the cas e f or sonic art as a new form ; willing an d a ble to c ontinue in the e s t a bli s he d e xperimental approach exemplified b y t he ori g inal avant- g arde . M usic , the other main claimant t o ‘ ownership’ of sonic art , proved to b e l ess flexible , continuing to maintain a r elativel y simple and limited definitio n a bly , the arrival o f e lf. Argu a o f its e e Musik’ and ‘Musi q u e t ronishe ‘ Elek t t e tched the definitio n r ète’ str e C onc r r t, even here , establishe d w hat bu t s ome w w concepts and terminologies e continued to hold sway and even the nn most ‘musical’ aspects of sonic art ‘‘ received little acknowledgement as vv meaningful activities. ii Both music and fine art lay claim to mm sonic art. Clearly, it is regarded as a prize to be fought over and, given its tt diversity and ‘tradition’ of innovation, ss this is hardly surprising: innovation is ss increasingly valued in the arts, aa especially since older forms seem ii largely to have exhausted their ability yy to develop new responses. Sonic art re- vv establishes many avant-garde qualities ll and, in the diverse forms that their nn work takes, all the artists that we are tt about to meet undertake the search t t that is ultimately the focus of all art ss forms: to find and present ‘…the ss necessary metaphors by which a ss radically changing culture could be aa explained to its inhabitants.’ ii 1 A rt or Music ? 2 nd p43 (Job no:76098C1D/O : 09.03.07 Co: CM11) 76098_CTP_040-071.qxd 3/24/07 5:50 AM Page 43 e p44 QC Prefli g ht Poin t g 2 nd 11 1 1 1 11 1 1 J ob no : 76098 Title : The Fundamentals O f Sonic Art C lient : AV A S cn : # 1 50 Size : 200(w)230(h)mm C o : M11 C 0 (All To Spot)( C oa g l ) Dept : DTP D/ O : 16.02.07 (Job no:76098C1D/O : 09.03.07 Co: CM11) 76098_CTP_040-071.qxd 3/24/07 5:51 AM Page 44 p44 2 nd (Job no:76098C1D/O : 09.03.07 Co: CM11) 7 6098 _ CTP _ 040-071.qxd 3 / 24 / 07 5:51 AM Page 4 4 76098_CTP_040-071.qxd 3/24/07 5:51 AM Page 44 p44 2 nd (Job no:76098C1D/O : 09.03.07 Co: CM11) 76098_CTP_040-071.qxd 3/24/07 5:51 AM Page 44 p44 2 nd (Job no:76098C1D/O : 09.03.07 Co: CM11) A RTI S T S AND THEIR W O RK B iograph y e en making CDs , V icki Bennett has b e m edia under th e r adio and A / V multi m s for 16 y ears. Sh e n ame People Like U s e xtu a li s e s foun d a nim a te s a nd re c ont e f ootage collages with a witt y and dar k v iew of p o p ular culture and a s urrealistic edge , in both pre-recorde d a nd live settin g s. Vicki has shown wor k a t , amongst others: Tate Modern , th e N ational Film Theatre , Purcell Room , t he ICA , Sydney Opera House , P ompidou Centre , Sonar in Barcelon a a nd the Walker Art C enter i n M innea p olis. She has also p erforme d r adio sessions for BBC’s John Peel , M ixing It , and also CBC , KPFA an d d oes a regular radio show on WFMU , c alled ‘DO or DIY’ , which , since i t b egan in 2003 , has had over a quarte r o f a million Realpla y er hits. In Jul y 2 005 Peo p le Like Us p erformed a c on c ert a t the N a tion a l Film The a tre i n L ondon and Vicki has j ust finishe d c reatin g a new live set. People Like U s r ele as ed a DVD in l a te a utumn entitle d Story Without End . Funded by the d Sonic Arts Network and comprisin g four short films , it addresses th e forever-changing technolog y of th e twentieth centur y . Vicki is Artist i n Residence at the BB C C reativ e Archive. She is also makin g an albu m in collaboration with Er g o Phizmiz . Vicki Bennet t Intervie w How would you describe your work? I t would of course de p end on who I a m d escribing it to , since I’d be explaining i t in a way that was com p rehensible an d r elevant to that p erson. My work ha s a lwa y s involved using found sound an d v isual material , developed fro m p hotogra p hic p a p er collage through t o P hotosho p and then moving image (Afte r E ffects) collage , from cut-up tape sound s a nd loo p s through to recontextualise d s p oken word and sam p le collage. This ha s manifested as albums , album covers , d ownloadable MP3s , short films , liv e concerts and radio p roductions . Do you feel that it fits into any established category? In this respect, would you describe it as (sound) art or, given the use of other media, does it demand a category of its own? I have called my work sound art , soni c a rt , collage art , plunderphonia , digital art , a vant-garde music , contemporary music , short films , avant pop actually the list i s q uite extensive. It is always collage , an d a lwa y s contextual. Or rather I alwa ys r econtextualise b y means of collage . <www.peopleli k eus.org > 7 6098 _ CTP _ 040-071.qxd 3 / 24 / 07 5:51 AM Page 4 4 76098_CTP_040-071.qxd 3/24/07 5:51 AM Page 44 . five artists whose work falls under the umbrella of sonic art. They have been chosen to demonstrate the remarkably wide scope that sonic art encompasses. We can argue the definition of sonic art. describe it as (sound) art or, given the use of other media, does it demand a category of its own? I have called my work sound art , soni c a rt , collage art , plunderphonia , digital art , a vant-garde. even the nn most ‘musical’ aspects of sonic art ‘‘ received little acknowledgement as vv meaningful activities. ii Both music and fine art lay claim to mm sonic art. Clearly, it is regarded as a prize