W03 Reading

When reading “As We May Think”, I took it just as that. It felt very speculative to me. These are things that could be if we were to think that way. While reading the article, I felt like it was kind of an arbitrary article- he was talking about these thing that he would like to exist, but actually do exist. Like the encyclopedia example he brought up and how he would like it to be compressed, but we have the internet. However, we realized that the article was actually written in 1945, and the speculative aspect of the article became more clear. While discussing the article with some classmates, we talked about how for a speculative piece such as this is actually quite advanced for the time it was written. One point that he talks about is that as technology advances and becomes more available to us, the human mind becomes dull, therefore processes information slower. He talks about how as we write algorithms and programs that can run advanced problems for people- and I think that because we have these things available that our brains start to deteriorate and we aren’t able to process information as fast, and that one day a computers will exceed the human mind. Another of the examples of a technology Bush is thinking about, the “mechanical aid” to transform scientific record- it something that is actually utilized in present time seventy years after this article was written.

“All our steps in creating or absorbing material of the record proceed through one of the senses—the tactile when we touch keys, the oral when we speak or listen, the visual when we read. Is it not possible that some day the path may be established more directly?”

This concept maybe seem alien to him, but it is something that we are slowly advancing and arriving at. The idea of completely ridding the external factor of receiving and processing information is a theme that is prominent in many sci-fi films and books. In these terms, Bush is thinking way beyond his time, and able to see technologies that were probably not even imaginable during the 40’s. So, as people in the present world, using technologies Bush is talking about speculatively, are we able to think about technologies that could be in our futures the way he is thinking about our present day?

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5-in-5

Going back to the question: how do we translate the same story using different languages? Different senses? How can we as a human entity convey the same idea through different platforms and medium? How do we describe something visual to a blind person OR vice versa: how do we describe a sound to a deaf person?

There are so many different types of people on this planet 7.9 billion and we all speak a different language. So how do we communicate with one another? Why isn’t there a common form of communication in which we can all understand?

DAY 01

Goal:

Record sounds around the city at 5 minute intervals each. Do this several times throughout the day. Collect a few different samples to work from.  The goal here is to observe the city not with my eyes but with my ears.

The challenge is to not be involved in and distracted by headphones and really be involved with my surroundings

Process:

I’ve collected a series of soundscapes through the day. I started from when I left my dorm room this morning at 92nd St at 11am till when I got home from school at 6 E 16th St around 10pm (it’s been a long day). I only collected a total of 12 samples throughout the day because: (1) I did not realize my phone wasn’t recording when I hit the record button. Just randomly stopped recording and said the format wasn’t supported. (2) I forgot I was working on this project and didn’t record.

My next step now  is to cut up each of these piece and re-assemble them using Audition into new soundscapes. I will take each of the samples, cut that sample up, rearrange the sample, and create a whole new environment. And I will do this twelve times, once to each piece. I think I will have each piece be about 10-15 seconds long, but in multiple layers so they are multi-dimensional and have depth.

The goal for this portion was to really spend the day observing the city and my surroundings because I feel that that is not something I do enough. I tried to spend the majority of the day without headphones on so that I observe the city using my ears.

(This is where I would upload the audio files, but I can’t on this site)

DAY 02

Use the collected sound pieces to then compose a few soundscapes using audition. My goal is to take what I’ve recorded and compose brand new soundscapes out of them and making new stories out of the old. It will be my first time using Audition, and I am curious to see how this program differs in language from others I’ve used in the past.

Note:

• I’ve decided to spend a total of 30 minutes on each of these constructing them so we don’t end up running out of time for these. And I have to use the full half hour and cannot go over.
• Scratch that. I’ve decided that I will not go over 30 minutes, but if I like the way that it sounds I will also stop working on it. Be satisfied and move on.
• Sometimes I find the echo to be more interesting than the sound scape itself. The reminiscence of what used to be there.

Difficulties:

• Having trouble with the interface. Spent a good amount of time on the first clip trying to figure out how to find the effects.
• Can’t figure out how to get rid of the popping— Figured out how to edit certain sections of the track to get rid of the loud popping sounds
• Staying focused. Not being distracted by my things such as phone, social media, and my bladder, cigarette cravings

DAY 03

Use the soundscapes composed from the previous day. Sit down with them, play them on repeat for 10 minutes each. Make drawings based on the feelings derived from these soundscapes for 30 minutes.

• As it turns out, my attention lasts about 3 minutes.
• I’m also challenging myself to take the time to work on something. And to follow the guidelines better
• I know I said I wouldn’t be distracted by my phone or social media, but I do get distracted by it. And every time I go check something, I will lose my train of thought and have to start over again. (not necessarily the painting. But where I’m at in regards to the painting).
• Number 3 also wasn’t the most exciting thing. There wasn’t much I could work with in the track so then the painting just didn’t really come out that interesting.
• Not sure how long I can keep listening to track 5 for. It is giving me vertigo.
• It’s very hard to do the full 15 minutes because I am so heavy handed in the beginning and it quickly fills up the page, and I am also afraid that the paper will be ruined if I do too much to it

Process shots and the final ten drawings.

DAY 04

Using the skills I’ve learned in Bootcamp and the soundscapes I’ve composed, my goal was to make an interactive piece between sound and imagery. I wanted to make one singular processing sketch in which I can use the keyPressed function to choose between one of ten sound files and it will play based on the key I’ve chose. Also I would like the sketch to run the reaction drawing as well.

DAY 05

I want to animate the abstract drawings produced from day 3 by utilizing Processing as a tool. I have animation as a background, and I never knew that it was a possibility to use code as animation tool. Also, I wanted to use the drawings because I wanted to give them a purpose. Why would you make something that has no purpose and is just obsolete? Or it is a critical piece a satire? To just make something for the sake of making something