Media Bodies Wk1 – Walking and Sight
These are some notes on the work that was conducted throughout week 1 of Media Bodies!
The Sound of Colour: Indigo
As I started to listen to Jay-Dea Lopez’s audio work, ‘The sound of colour: Indigo’, I struggled to get a sense of what the colour indigo sounded like. I tried too hard to make sense of what the VoiceOver was describing to me. I had a pen in hand and tried to highlight key words that I heard.
As soon as the VoiceOver started actually describing the colour as being ‘super natural’ and ‘a mystical number’, I was able to immediately start visualising something other than just the colour of indigo.
I closed my eyes and dropped the pen. I could start seeing indigo aliens and planets, along with robot birds that chirped in the sky. The visual in my head was heightened by the repetitive sound effects that played in the background of the audio work.
A light buzzing sound layered with a fluttering noise of beeps that could be mistaken by birds chirping and an occasional slowed down zap sound that reminded me of an imagined space gun.
If am to be honest, without closing my eyes, I felt lost as to how this audio work could link to the colour of Indigo. However, once I closed my eyes and opened my mind to what was being described, I could depict a clear image in my head of a place that filled itself with INDIGO.
Finding a sense of embodiment through guided meditation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inpok4MKVLM – 5-Minute Meditation You Can Do Anywhere
The first thing that came to mind when thinking of the question about ‘the sense of embodiment’ was guided meditation podcasts.
On a general scale, guided meditation will be an audio work that is layered with calm and steady music that includes sounds like a harp or a soft flute, as well as including sounds of nature (birds, water falls ect). On top of that, a person with an extremely smooth and soft voice will guide you into a peaceful and present state of mind.
The reason why I think this media work helps a lot of people to relax is because on top of all the typical calming factors of what we physically hear, we are actually given clear and straight forward instructions of what we should be doing or focusing on. Most guided meditations will be so clear with instructions that the brain does not even need to think twice about what you are doing.
Ellingson’s Embodied Knowledge
With the readings this week, Ellingson’s ‘Embodied knowledge’ text really captured my intention. I am fascinated with how the mind, well brain, and body work as one, especially without being aware of what or how you learnt to work in that way. For example, if I was blindfolded, I would be able to walk from my house that I have lived in my whole life, all the way to the train station (10 minute walk away) because I have made that trip thousands of times and my body knows the way to go.
It was also at the end of Ellingson’s text that I was reminded of the overall wellness of “subjectivity” and how it helps to ‘generate embodied knowledge’. We are typically told to not rely on others subjective information, however, in some situations, if you take care in acknowledging the position of which the research was gathered, it may be a better way of incorporating information, more so in a long term way.
‘matters deeply in knowledge formation’
Plan for my piece of work; week 1 exercise
I planned to make a piece of work that could display the way in which weather and light effect our moods.
I know from moments during lockdown that I would feel tired and drowsy from being inside all day and then would go for a walk outside and feel a new sense of energy. If the sun was shining then I would feel even more uplifted. This is what I wanted to portray through my piece.
From the media example ‘Notes on Blindness’, I noticed that parts of the film were quite dark, almost to the point where I couldn’t see what was actually happening. However, although I could not see, I still knew what was happening in the scene with the use of heightened sound effects and atmospheric sounds. This use of heightened sound is something that I tried to put some focus into my piece.
Overall, I could have added more detail to my piece that would have linked deeper to ideas discussed in this weeks learnings. My work to me was influenced by my personal experiences and the ‘colour walk’ activity that we did this week… mindful walking.
Synopsis and detail
My week 1 exercise, ‘walking and sight’, explores the idea of noticing, and the way that our moods can change from being aware. Completing an everyday task of walking from one place to another will always have some significance to us whether we notice it or not.
The man leaves his home which is also his work place. He is in need of a break from the desk that he sits at hourly, day by day, week by week. However, leaving his house, moving from one place to another, does not seem to give him an opportunity to break. He is still on a business call and is just letting his body direct him on his local streets.
It is only once he is able to end that draining call that his mind joins his body’s journey. He notices the relaxing swooshes of wind and the beautiful calming aromas that surround him from the plants in sight.
The sunglasses he wears are a symbol of his awareness being blocked. When the glasses are removed, vibrant colour can be seen and he is able to finally relax. He starts his walk, stressed, tired, and unhappy, he ends his walk, rejuvenated, uplifted and relaxed. He has natural light in his eyes and a nice breeze on his skin.
Enjoy! xxx