Sound Spirals
Evan Raskob · Electronic workshops in computing · 2015
Sound Spirals are part of an ongoing project attempting to interpret sound in a physical medium: sculpturally, mathematically, and irreversibly. They demonstrate different processes for creating data visualisations of recorded audio in the form of 3D printed sculptural art using open source programming tools and audio software (Processing and Audacity) and contemporary 3D printers including the MakerBot and Objet. This practice-led project looks at returning the physical form to different sounds such as human voices, physical actions such as walking on gravel paths, and insect sounds in interesting and possibly even contradictory ways to provoke us to think about the process of creating, deconstructing, and then reconstructing elements of the soundscape around us. The main aesthetic of the spirals is one of proportionality, periodicity, and materiality, which are all intrinsic to the creation of sound waves. They are complex objects that are intended to be seen from a variety of angles and also, in some cases, to be in tactile exhibitions that highlight their materiality and physical texture. The forms are intended to be indexic art and not iconic representations such as Edison Cylinders, in the same way that photographs are representative of reality but cannot be reverse engineered to re-create that reality (Alexenberg 2006:42).