Sunday, October 17, 2010
HARMONOGRAPH
I have officially begun my journey in search for the link between music and visuals. I'm not quite sure what it means yet- I just know that the connection exists. Many people have referred me to digital artist that interpret sounds into digital shapes and colours. I find the digital medium somehow detached mechanical and I aspire to explore the physical mediums of communication. Just like how Gondry made a connection between Bjork's playing and the colours (previous post)- I'm looking into the physical connection between what we hear and what we see.
Which brings me to introduce the amazing tool called the Harmonograph. The Harmonograph is a mechanical setup that employs pendulums to create a geometric image. In his book 'Harmonograph: a visual guide to the mathematics of music', Anthony Ashton is writing: "from the first moment I saw drawing of this kind I was hooked. Not only because of their strange beauty but because they seemed to have meaning...". I identify very much with what Ashton wrote- and I've decided to look more into this amazing machine.
Looking into the Harmonograph and its abilities- opened a new world of signs, symbols and meanings related to music. Hopefully, It'll be a useful tool in my journey..
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That's an interesting topic indeed, though I'm not aware of how this machine works or what it does... It seemed from what u wrote u had access to one?
ReplyDeleteThey made a whole character with special powers in 'heroes' based around the phenomenon of people who see and/or consciously associate sound with colors (most of us probably associate it anyhow only in a very low level, which is why it is mostly done unconsciously).
Unfortunately, I did not have an access to an Harmonograph- but I'm gonna make one! The idea is that you've got two pendulums (or more) that are connected to a pen and paper. Each one is swinging in different consistency, and according to that- the drawing is being made. The basic set of musical intervals is the elementary set of simple ratios, 1:1 (unison), 2:1 (the octave), 3:2 (the fifth), 4:3 (the forth) and so on.
ReplyDeleteAs for the phenomenon its called Synesthesia which is a neurologically based condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway.
It is an amazing phenomenon- and I'm exploring that as well!!
Thanks for your comment!