The Sound of Fear

Radio 4 explores  the relationship between Sound and Fear.

David Toop and Chu-Li Shrewing discussed with neuroscientist Sophie Scottt how the use of Schizophonic sound (dis-associated sound) causes particular unease for the listener.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b015zpf5

Janet Cardiff describes her work at SFMOMA

Janet Cardiff explains how she first discovered the uncanny effect of replaying an audio commentary in the same environment ( a cemetery) where it was made.
She also explains how she uses Binaural recording to create her audio walks.        Janet Cardiff describes her work at SFMOMA

Bibliography. Also Documentary by Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller

This is a video/audio work by the artists. The artists provide some explanation of how they execute their work and their intentions.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKXXkxD3ue4&feature=related

Bibliography: Essential reading/listening


janet cardiff the walk book(with CD)  
mirjam schaub (2005) 
Koln: Walter Konig


Pandemonium (with CD) Janet Cardiff + George Bures Miller An Installation curated by Julie Courtney at Eastern Penitentionary Historic Site Philadelphia. May 2005-November 2006


Janet Cardiff : a Survey of Works Including Collaborations with George Bures Miller (with CD)
Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev (2002)
P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, New York

Initial Thoughts

First Thoughts

Soundscape in South London, rejected due to practical difficulties.

Susan Hiller

At the Susan Hiller exhibition at Tate Britain  I was particularly struck by her audio/visual work "Monument". this sowed the seed of an idea, a graveyard audio walk.
http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?cgroupid=999999961&workid=21187&searchid=9519

Monument by Susan Hiller
Image courtesy of Tate

Audio Obscura: Lavinia Greenlaw

Another inspiration for me was an audio walk at St Pancras station. Wearing sound excluding headphones  you meandered around the busy station for about 20 minutes listening to snatches of overheard conversations and fictional narrative which melded into the actual visual/sonic environment. It was very immersive and also disorientating, trying to work out reality and fiction.

http://www.artangel.org.uk/projects/2011/audio_obscura

Janet Cardiff

Through the autumn term as I worked on my dissertation I became increasingly interested in Janet Cardiff's sound walks, follow the link to listen to them.

http://www.cardiffmiller.com/artworks/walks/index.html

Further Thoughts

I switched venues to the Jewelry Quarter in Birmingham.

 Rationale: 

• Personal connections and prior knowledge of the area.
• I was particularly interested in two cemeteries which can be found there: Key Hill and Warstone Lane. The history of the cemeteries has more potential for a coherent narrative
• They are both very atmospheric and contain the remains of many of Birmingham's important historical figures as well as public graves containing up to fifty coffins with the mortal remains of less affluent people.
• The cemeteries have fallen into disrepair and decay which I also find interesting.
• I realised the importance of a tightly defined area which works with a timed walk/ audio.

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