Sound and image are the elements that often complete each other. When there is not enough of imagery, the acoustic elements add the atmosphere, and vice versa Sourcing Sound and Image is the project that perfected it. Making the visuals blend with the sounds in the background, it creates a fantastic cadence of imagery and sound. Taking a closer look at some specimen of the genre, one can possibly tell why these unusual artworks are so mesmerizing.
Speaking of Wolniak’s Flash Art, one must mention that the images, with all their abruptness, remind of the SOS signal; however, with the soothing buzzing sound in the background, the whole artwork of life and death. Perhaps, it is the simplicity of the idea and its meaningfulness that makes Flash Art an artwork one cannot shift the eyes from.
Another peculiar masterpiece, Lightning Field by Rudy Lemke makes one see the whole idea of Sourcing Sound and Image from a different perspective. The image of black and white stripes shape shifting is something that can put even an insomniac to sleep; however, the music that follows creates the atmosphere of something being about to happen, which makes the whole artwork rather threatening.
Van McElwee attempted to approach the same issue from a different angle as well, displaying footage of images sinking in white noise, and offering a corresponding soundtrack. Disturbing and unusual, the work leads the viewer into the depth of the subconscious and turns the process of watching into unceasing guesswork.
On the contrary, Vitiello offers rather vague images combined with a heavy melody that jumps from the background into the front. Creating the impression of something dangerous approaching, the composition is a triumph of merging a sound and an image into a single entity.
Like a dashed line, it charms the viewer into watching, yet at the same time makes the audience remain on alert, intrigued and waiting for something to happen. In the given case, the sound and the video are not fully corresponding, yet they perfectly supplement each other.
As for Lemcke’s Waterlilies, the footage stands out from the rest of the works; unlike the rest of the compositions, it does not contain a neurotic element that sends shivers down the viewer’s spine immediately; on the contrary, it is much like the Flash Art, with its soothing and relaxing effect. In addition, the shape shifting images create the impression of something elusive.
Finally, Brilliant Noise by Ruth Jarman and Joe Gerhardt is one of those artworks that immediately send the audience into the realm of their own fantasies. With the image of a solar eclipse and a weird, alien-like melody in the background, the whole video makes the audience believe that they have entered the sci-fi territory.
Therefore, it is clear that the specific art owes a lot of its charm to the specific way the sounds and the imagery are combined. In addition, the succession of the elements is crucial for the perception of the artwork as well – these are the sharp changes of the images together with the noise in the background that create the unique feeling of witnessing something grandeur. While both the images and the sounds are sharp and abrupt, they create a pattern that thrills the viewer into paying attention.
Works Cited
Jarman, Ruth and J. Gerhardt. Brilliant Noise. 2006. Web.
Lemcke, Rudy. Lightning Field. 2003. Web.
Lemcke, Rudy. Watrelilies. 2003. Web.
McElwee, Van. Radio Island. 1997. Web.
Vitiello, Stephen. Light Readings. 2003. Web.
Wolniak, Scott. Flash Art (Circles and Rectangles). 2010. Web.