Project 1 was always envisaged as one stepping-stone on a larger path to a final outcome. The practical work was undertaken as short, sharp and spontaneous experiments as a reaction to philosophical questions and I intend to use this methodology in Project 2. I do not intend to leave the project here; there is much more scope for further research, development and the uncovering of new unforeseen questions. The work completed here now forms the foundations for Project 2, where I wish to drill down to the route of the core complexities of Human and Object and uncover something unexpected. Here I have only explored the objectification of form, translating the appearance of the human to that of an object. Next I propose to explore the objectification of sound, the sonic is another intrinsic element to the human and also to objects. Speech as a function of communication, a function of noise, a function of music. Speech can be seen as an instrument in its own right. Equally both the human and object can make sounds via other means, guitar, piano, drum, synthesizer, plastic bottle, metal pipe, wine glass, can all produce sound when input in the correct way. Along these lines we can begin to see sound as object, the isolation of sounds from speech takes them out of their original context and opens up a new space for them to exist. Translation to an object through isolation. This can potentially highlight the materiality of sound, how sound can be a material and manipulated as such. Sound can be draped, weaved, ripped, folded, pressed, stretched, wrapped, billowed and creased. Isolated sound was a key element of Bill Viola’s work on display at Yorkshire Sculpture Park; Viola played on a single isolated sound as part of the subject matter, magnified and enhanced this to fill the space. Sound here took on it’s own life as part of the work and focused you in on the action taking place within the image. The sound was as much an object in the space as anything you could physically see and touch, it became tactile in its isolation, had a spatial quality and an existence within the room. Sound through isolated speech, as an element of the human is something interesting to consider as a compliment to the appearance and experience of the human I have explored to date. When the human and the object are combined, something new is created in a 1+1=3 calculation. This third thing, the Tertium Quid, is the coming into being of something else through dynamic interactions where the agents themselves are not important, only the in-between is. This notion of the third thing and the coming together of two parts creating a new object relates back to my current thinking regarding the creation of objects. The human is combined with digital technology to create something new, a new object. Here the original human and the new object are unimportant, the in-between interactions where the connections occur, the translations happen and the changes materialise, hold everything meaningful.

Tertium Quid

ˌtəːʃɪəm ˈkwɪd,ˌtəːtɪəm/ 

noun

A third thing that is indefinite and undefined but is related to two definite or known things.

In order to undertake this next phase of my research and practice I will initially talk with the Extra Sonic Practices group at the University, the members of ESP explore sound in different ways related to their theoretical and artistic practices. A number of students and staff at the Academie Voor Pop Culture in The Netherlands that I have met through various iWeek activities, use sound as their primary practice. This spans music, performance, experimental sound and spoken poetry and will be a dynamic source of advice to develop a response to the objectification of sound. Finally utilising the knowledge and equipment as part of the Audio Production degree will provide me with the skills to successfully produce a response to my research.