synesthesia – a visual imagination of sound

Pedestrian tunnels in our city have a very unique role. Besides allowing people to travel conveniently, the soundscape of each tunnel has its own qualities due to its location and structure. I used hand drawings to express the visual imagination that was triggered by sounds in   pedestrian tunnels, and I hope to depict sound in a way that does not involve audio recording.

I have made sketches of four tunnel soundscapes located in Tsim Sha Tsui, Ngau Tau Kok, Shau Kei Wan and Choi Hung. These tunnels are also part of my memories as I have been there before. When I went to each tunnel, I walked through all of it to find out its structure, then I made recordings at a fixed point for my own reference. As I listen to the soundscape consciously, I instinctively sketched out what I was hearing on the spot by using various lines and dots to represent different sound elements. After I left the tunnel, I listened to the recordings to finalize the composition of each piece, and to visualize my impression of sound in terms of space and proportion. Although the recordings are flattened compared to the actual soundscapes, they help me recall the feelings I had on-site. Finally I have finished these four drawings after trying different compositions.

In a crowded tunnel, all kinds of sound reflect in the cylindrical structure, and the soundscape is blended into a “soundwall” as opposed to the distinct audible layers from ground level, which also gives “overground/ underground” an acoustic meaning. When the pedestrians are sparse, the micro-sounds that usually can’t be heard are more prominent as the sounds are transmitted easily along tunnels, such as the sound of clothes swishing against each other while people are walking, and the crisp clinging of metal zip pullers on their bags and jackets. When I’m listening in the tunnels, I put all of my focus into the sound and the visual imagination that it brings; and to me, while the drawings are to explore the visual possibilities of interpreting sound, it is also a practice that leads to peace of mind.

聯感—聲音的視覺想像

隧道是城市中十分獨特的一部份。除了讓人們可以便捷地到達不同地方之外,每一條隧道亦會因它的位置和結構等而形成不同的聲景。我手繪的方式來表達這些聲音引發的視覺聯想,嘗試透過錄音以外的方式來呈現聲音。

我總共描繪了四條隧道的聲景,分別位於尖沙咀、牛頭角、筲箕灣及彩虹,而這些隧道都是我以往走過並留下回憶的。我到了每一條隧道後,首先會把整條隧道走完,再了解它的結構,然後找一個固定位置來作錄音紀錄,並在該處一邊聆聽、一邊把我所聽見的直覺地畫下來,以不同的點與線來描繪每種聲音的元素。離開隧道後,我會再重覆聽錄音來決定每幅作品的構圖,以整體畫面的空間及比例來表現聲音給我的感覺。儘管錄音比現場聆聽來得平面,它對喚起我對聲境的感覺也十分有幫助。在嘗試過不同的構圖後,便完成了這四幅作品。

在人來人往的隧道,各樣的聲音於管狀結構中不斷反射並混在一起,形成的「音牆」跟層次分明的地面聲音形式強列對比,也為「地面/地底」賦予了聽覺的意義;而人流稀疏的隧道,亦因為這種結構有容易傳聲的特性而能聽見平日未必察覺的微小聲音,例如人們步行時衣服的磨擦聲、他們的隨身袋或外套上的拉鍊扣碰撞的清脆金屬聲等等。在隧道裡聆聽的過程中,我把思緒集中到聲音及其帶來的視覺聯想;而對我來說,這些聲音的描繪,除了是探索呈現聲音的視覺可能,也是一種帶來內在平靜的渠道。

1_a 1_b

Tsim Sha Tsui / 尖沙咀

2_a 2_b

Ngau Tau Kok / 牛頭角

3_a 3_b

Choi Hung / 彩虹

4_a 4_b

Shau Kei Wan / 筲箕灣

__________

Artist Bio
Jonathan Edwin Lo, a visual communication design graduate from Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design, the guitarist of Dumplin9. His interest in sound comes from music and the love of city, believing that conscious listening can provide better understanding in our lives. Inspired by city soundscapes, he designed the sonictravlog mobile app that combines field-recording and social media, connecting people in a new perspective. He now works as a designer and continues to explore the possibilities between sound and sight.

藝術家簡歷
羅祉泓,畢業於香港理工大學設計學院,主修視覺傳達設計,樂隊果蒸糭之結他手。對聲音的興趣來自音樂和城市的喜愛,相信透過聆聽能更了解生活。在學時曾設計「聲音遊誌」(sonictravlog),一個從城市聲境出發,結合聲音和社交媒體的手機程式,希望把人和人以不同方式拉得更近。現職設計,並繼續探索聲音與視覺之間的可能性。

jonathaned.com