Final Source Statement - Ambient Noise

This form is a series of planes intersecting, and progressively erecting to and upright-standing sculpture. It's simplicity is meant to not distract from its overall goal, which is to have the following elements:

Flat steps, rectangular slabs, cubes, some circles - all together gaining mass as I add elements to shape the sculptural piece.

The steps represent hierarchy; this specific element I feel represents the different steps children take in their own walk through ambient/white noise - the further up they travel, the more noise, hence the gaining of mass in elements.

The upright slabs represent the different spaces they transition through (imagine doorways leading to a different type of exposure of noise).

The open physical form, and the black perimeters and some rectangles altogether represents how noise infiltrates regardless of the when, where, why, and how the ambient noise is created or our goal to stop the noise; my specific goal here is to show that it does not matter how you want to address the noise, but that noise captures your attention - creating distractions everywhere you go. And the white interiors and white steps are representative of safety, even though noise is infiltrating.

The geometric shapes will represent the detail in my sequence that in essence are the tools instructors provide students a guided-forwardness in dealing with the ambience. As the tools (small shapes climbing up the sculpture) become a greater mass, that is representative in the complexity and preparedness in which kids are equipped with to deal with ambient noise. The location of the shapes are either touching or defensively shielding the black.

Sculpture progress

Update Source Statement

Another week has past us by and my project has not changed much. Because my form will be planes intersecting, and progressively erecting to and upright-standing sculpture, it may appear to be simple in its abstracted sequence from base to top. It's simplicity is meant to not distract from its overall goal, which is to have the following elements:

Flat, steps, adjacent slabs, squares, triangles, circles, color - all together gaining mass as I add elements to shape the sculptural piece. The steps represent hierarchy; this specific element I feel represents the different steps children take in their own walk through ambient noise - the further up they travel, the more noise, hence the gaining of mass in elements.

The upright slabs represent the different spaces they transition through (imagine doorways leading to a different type of exposure); a gaining of mass will be present to indicate this specific thought.

The open physical form altogether represents how noise infiltrates regardless of the when, where, why, and how the ambient noise is created; my specific goal here is to show that it does not matter how you want to address the noise, but that noise captures your attention - creating distractions everywhere you go.

The geometric shapes will represent the detail in my sequence that in essence are the tools instructors provide the kids to move forward in dealing with the ambience. As the tools become a greater mass, that will be representative in the complexity and preparedness in which kids are equipped with to deal with ambient noise.

Primary colors will be applied to the tools uniformly so as not confuse the different geometry and to support the simplicity of this built form.

Updated Photo's of Final Project

Updaed Source Statement

Ambient Noise:

In the past week I have had time to sit on sculptural ideas to assist/morph my thoughts into a built form. While my sketches show lines and direction, I thought to incorporate some of the things that they all had in common and/or unique from each other to give expression to my form.

I expect to have the forms layout to be built with consideration to represent something that starts with simple numbers - I will add density in color and material (that will show a start and end point; time base element), in which case at end point, a vertical form will be erected. I plan on showing how a mixture of door frame-like formations, steps, and shapes with color, will represent the steps, levels, and tools children are provided to be prepared to deal with the noise that we live in every day.

Site Photos, Tobin Montessori Community School, Cambridge, MA

BILIOGRAPHY

Gary W. Evans

Design and Environmental Analysis, Human Developments, Cornell University,

Ithaca, New York 14853-4401

Evans, G. W., Lepore, S. J., Shejwal, B. R., and Palsane, M.N. 1998b.

“Chronic residential crowding and children’s well being: An Ecological perspective,” Child Dev. 69, 1514-1523.

Kryter, K. 1994. The Handbook of Hearing and the effects of Noise, Academic, New York.

Regecova, V., and Kllerova, E. 1995. Effects of urban noise pollution on blood pressure and heart rate in preschool children,” J. Hypertens. 3, 405-412.

VISUAL COMMUNICATION

The title of my piece will be AMBIENT NOISE

I will be using wood and paint to create a bah relief that morphs into a 3 dimensional for. There will be flat overlapping shapes in a series which, signifies a direction. There will be some curvilinear pieces which overlap in some areas with additional vertical pieces of varying color and value as the piece moves from flat to sculptural.

The increasing density of units from flat to sculpture will show a movement that represents the accumulation of time. The way the viewer perceives the piece will invite that they view it from 360 degrees and it will be displayed on the ground.

The flat areas, bah relief, will represent the simplistic infiltration of noise and the increase of layers to a more complex form will depict an increase in ambient/environmental noise.

There may be some variations that occur in the process of creating the form. It is important to me to be open during the process to any organic evolutions that may improve the success of the piece, both visually and conceptually. It may include materials – perhaps metal will be incorporated. And the display of my form may change from floor to table for example.

BIBLIOGHRAPHY

WHITE NOISE

Christian Marclay, 1994

(Artstor)

WHITE NOISE

Joseph Grigley, 2000

SOUNDLY THROUGH THE NOISE

Charles Long, 2003

Severo Covian

Visual Language 2

Lana Caplan

SOURCE STATEMENT

My source this semester has been about ambient noise. For my final project I’d like to create a statement that is in regards to children and the effects that ambient noise has on them in the learning process. Since I work with kids in an afterschool program I have witnessed the effects that environmental and ambient noise has on them in the classroom. I would like to be constructive in this project, because as a teacher my goal is to build for them clear guidance and direction, to assist them in understanding the ways of the world and their community and their relationship to their surroundings.

3 IDEAS

I will explore three different possibilities – all encompassing potential for an installation; be it a functional or conceptual form.

The first is to take some of the teaching methods described in the above paragraph and show those characteristics in built form. This type of installation will require some sketches and development of form through bah reliefs. Material of choice for the model(s) will be in some type of wood, perhaps foam core, and other architectural modeling materials. The installation will presumably be built within the walls of an outdoor space. The space is approximately 50ft. depth, and 100ft length.

Another possibility is to build a tree house/fort for kids in a neighborhood in Davis Square, Somerville, MA. In effort to provide creative activities to a family who is often busy, maximizing their outdoor space for three kids and three dogs is a must. The flowerbeds are already dead! I will most likely only use wood material and metal joints as needed. As building this structure may incur a great deal of bureaucracy, this may be mostly a model.

The third choice is to volunteer at a veteran’s shelter. I would solely take their stories and transform/morph them into some type of built form. Materials aren’t of great concerns as they can be threads, wood, glass, metal, etc.

Title: AMBIENT NOISE

I teach both as a guide and an observer, with an effort to intervene less and less as the student develops, and to build an atmosphere of calm, order and joy in the classroom. I hope to foster an environment for kids that is stimulating but without unnecessary distraction.

In my research on the topic of ambient noise and its’ effects on children’s learning I found astounding information: that kids who are raised in crowded neighborhoods and near noisy sites like airports and highways have higher levels or the stress hormone cortisol and have poorer concentration, leading to lower classroom performance.

In my final project I will create something that incorporates my source throughout the semester and combine it with something that I feel passionate about, children and education. My piece will reflect this relationship.

Book Project completed

Final Project Source and Proposals

My source statement is to build for a clear guidance and direction, specifically referring to children; children are everything. To assist them in understanding the ways of the world and their community, to share stories of wisdom, to teach lessons, etc. I have always been intrigued to assist others in one way or another; if it’s to babysit, to help perform tasks requiring some handy work around someone’s home, or if it’s to simply assist to cook, and sometimes perhaps to be a listener or someone to lean on in good or bad stages…

Guidance and Direction

To Teach as a guide and an observer, to intervene less and less as the student develops, to build an atmosphere of calm, order and joy in the classroom, to encourage children in all their efforts, to promote self confidence and discipline, to demonstrate the use of materials and presenting activities based on an assessment of a child’s needs, to know when to observe and when, and how much, to intervene is a skill.

I will explore three different possibilities – all encompassing potential for an installation; be it a functional or conceptual form.

The first is to take some of the teaching methods described in the above paragraph and show those characteristics in built form. This type of installation will require some sketches and development of form through bah reliefs. Material of choice for the model(s) will be in some type of wood, perhaps foam core, and other architectural modeling materials. The installation will presumably be built within the walls of an outdoor space. The space is approximately 50ft. depth, and 100ft length.

Another possibility is to build a tree house/fort for kids in a neighborhood in Davis Square, Somerville, MA. In effort to provide creative activities to a family who is often busy, maximizing their outdoor space for three kids and three dogs is a must. The flowerbeds are already dead! I will most likely only use wood material and metal joints as needed. As building this structure may incur a great deal of bureaucracy, this may be mostly a model.

The third choice is to volunteer at a veteran’s shelter. I would solely take their stories and transform/morph them into some type of built form. Materials aren’t of great concerns as they can be threads, wood, glass, metal, etc.­­

Final Book Source Statement

My first iteration of this book project was a bah relief, which has great to analyze - it gave me the base to top vision of creating something that had inner workings, much like how I feel and deal with all noises which later become ambient to me, and it provided a foundation structure for my completed project. A sculpture representing a book, with a cover (the larger form) that encapsulates a time based sequence depicting my daily stroll through the city. The pages can be seen stacked within the larger rim, and rotate out 360 degrees. From base to top page, I tell a story of how I see, hear, and feel the ambient noise I have been discussing all along.

composing my book model

after several organizations of these organic shapes, I decided to keep the larger portion of the structure in a fixed position, while having the swinging parts act as the pages.

crafting good lines and details

book progress

base to top concepts

potential detail joints

progressive slides

parallel stacks

Source Statement 4/1/2010

As a follow up from last weeks source, were I mention translating my walk and noise into built form, I decided to refine my built form into a layered, curvilinear, and imperfect shapes - to reflect a sculpture. I intend to continue the same thoughts of sequence from base to top.

Source Statement

As a continuation of my source onto this new book project, I thought of different ways to realize my thoughts into a built form.

My previous project was discussing how daily noises become ambient in my ‘daily walk/transit’ from place to place. My film was a snapshot of the things I experience daily. The soundtrack to my film produced the natural noises in city. I was observing various things in my stroll through the city – like a flock of pigeons flying overhead; the natural noise of flapping wings in the air tore me away from the man made manifestation of noises.

Similarly, my book will depict a sequence of my day, but the noises created by the film will be translated into a built form; and my precursor to the built form will be carried by a series of ‘types’ of emotions organized from top to bottom; a time-line if you will…

The built forms will be supported by a word, phrase, sentence, poem, etc. – yet to be determined!

As a time based sequence piece, I will arrange from base to top, the sequence, but it will require the audience to walk around the piece to completely capture the different shapes, words, or colors in this piece.

A special physical element (feeling) in this form will encapsulate the daily walk – representing how I deal with all noise.

My trip to the ICA

The anticipation of seeing works of an artist observed in one of our lectures made me feel like there was a direct purpose in this trip. I like documentaries, so there was a compelling factor to see work of someone I have observed and discussed in class. On the ­­fourth floor of the ICA, at the entrance of the gallery, my attention was captured by the sounds of a separate installation. I took one step into the installation and I was quickly inspired by the work of Krzysztof Wodiczko’s film; “…out of here:” The Veterans Project was an experience, a story, an aesthetic decision in how the televisions were arranged (at the top-fourth section of three sides of the space, and across the perimeter of the said three sides in the space). The film, as I experienced it, allowed a type of instant connection to the echoes in this film - meanwhile one of the several screens, feeds images, sometimes almost simultaneously I think… But because the film kept me in a constant-suspended state, in a kind of ‘idle’, piecing sounds in a visual and progressive interpretation, while anticipating the next sound, or sets of images, I was also in a state of complete alertness; I’m sure the types of sounds were a direct effect of feeling alert and perhaps, the raw intent and purpose other than the message(s) of language communication…

The activity in continuing sequence of the film through different screens (a back and forth effect), depending on a specific time in the films sequence, I felt that it contained sounds that I call raw commotion (as in a very warm and live, and a very real thing depicting a molecule at the top of the iceberg – as far as uncomfortable raw truths go), and the portrayal of confusion and danger, caused me as an observer, to develop this visual interpretation – it felt like I was almost there in front of them; if you can imagine that. Consistent listening and scanning about the space, to avoid missing a beat, and the orientation of my head focused upward at the screens’ physical locations, was the trick that did it for me. If I closed my eyes, or if I kept them wide open, I could envision soldiers approaching and area where they are encountered by townspeople, so it seems, but who knows... I was so almost there, I definitely had an opinion and strong feeling in direct dialogue with the film; if I was faced to pick between rescuing and not rescuing an injured child, I would definitely try to save the little guy – it’s the only humane fucking thing to do, so I was pissed off immediately, but kudos to Krzysztof Wodiczko. It was in the first moments of the installation that I began to enjoy the experience - and a story unfolded and I was still having a moving feeling after I had walked out of the installation. After experiencing this, waves, water and concepts about water seemed uninteresting for me.

Reflect

traffic

Source Statement 2/18/1010

When I began to investigate my source, which seems to be the ambience or drowning out of city noise, and also includes noises in cafe's, bars, noises on a walk to the train, inside the train - even noises during what is expected to be a quiet peaceful walk, I can hear planes overhead and vehicle traffic in the distance. As a person who enjoys architecture, I am beginning to incorporate my relationship with noise in how I will consider the organization of space(s) for an inhabitant.

Continuousgreenline

My experience with audio/video lecture on 2/11/2010

As I become more familiar with Final Cut Express, I am finding great value in the know how's of the program, but nonetheless it is a complicated program, and I speak for myself but I am sure others participating in these lectures are also having some difficulty. I think it requires a definite learning curve given the time constraints of the class period. Certain hang-ups caused by complicated processes can be overwhelming, especially for those of us who have never really dealt with or worked with audio/video technology.

Having said that, I think that I would pick up the technical aspects of Final Cut Express with greater clarity if I had more time in class with either instructor assisting in the course, thus giving me the hands on approach and confidence I need to tackle the lesson plan, which would hopefully open up other channels of creativity and more time to connect to my project - making my work, experience more interesting and solid.

project sound conversions

New Source Statement

2/11/2010

Peace is Noise:

5 Aspects of my source are:

1. Traffic in the heat of rush hour

2. Transient people on the streets

3. People boarding the subway

4. People meeting in places

5. People in social establishment

Throughout life, past life’s and future ones to be, I will speculate that people have intently or with surprise, and with curious ears, experienced definite change in the noises they hear – as if we have adopted new noises to be affected with, affected in a way that there seems to be an ambience to those noises; noises then seamlessly become part of our process of nature, and they may give us strengths and influence, and can cause a change in our behavior, mood, etc. Or we may have another basic or complex connection that means something; something that has guidance or direction. I lean on the idea that technological nuances have caused sounds and noises to become more dynamic in their evolution. I believe that adaptation is our deals’ challenge, and we tolerate and vise versa, or we develop a relationship with, so we learn properties, advantages and pitfalls. And there’s the other noise that remains as its true and clear antiquity of sound, its antiquity of program, or having to do with trades, actions, productions, feelings, or simply the noises and sounds our bodies make – those we have a clean-clear connection and acceptance towards. The sound an axe or log splitter produces from striking down and splitting a log or tearing from the stock of a tree.

My Experience in the last audio visual recording lecture was most helpful when we were released from class to experiment with the cameras, in separate a space than the classroom, what we had learned in terms of technical workings of the cameras. I found questions birthed from the teachings of the lecture that lead me to be more informed of this section of the teachings in this class. This understanding was fluid with a hands on learning that is afforded in this course.

Peace is noise:

Sounds, in noisy city life, or in peaceful country living, can both be so fluid and ambient to our place in time that sometimes peace is noise.

City streets and urban settings have a totally different set of circumstances, but have parallels with regard to basic human programmed instincts. Christmas carols are warm, and promote togetherness; were the disengagement of a firearms hammer striking a live round of ammunition can mean life or death.

A faint siren noise becoming increasingly louder would be the complimentary noise that follows a gunshot. Noises can lead us to understand and acknowledge peace in the message, or danger, or they can be soothing, static, angry, happy etc.

In thinking about the norm(s) of peace in sound, I am thinking about the many cases were popularized media is disbursed through networks of communication, which are geared to captivate certain types regardless of oppositions. Our perspectives of viewing, hearing and feeling can be programmed by these networks or by our own senses of acceptance, appreciation, morals, etc. In creating different sounds, I found that I could scratch surfaces, tap, whistle, breathe, rub or pick up musical instruments or pots and pans to record noise and to create a composition, that is, in the least, interesting to me. This experiment allows to really look into culture with noise being the precursor

My Experience With Sound Recordings and Feedback About the Lecuture

My sound recordings were to my surprise exciting to work with. I have never been one to manipulate digital waves, but again, and in a different form, I am reminded that music and sounds are a huge part of my life. Even the faintest delivery of organized noises can catch my attention if for better or worse than previous noise factor(s).

The lecture in the 'how to' work with technology geared to record sounds was helpful and a new experience for me. I look forward to further manipulation and development of this work.

Architectural Visual Language

To begin, I will be thoroughly identifying to the best of my ability as a student important factors in architecture. Historical movements and political periods will, without a doubt, be the dialogue that drives my conclusions. This is only the beginning - I look forward to my middle and end of this subject for there is much to look at and examine in the changing seasons.