Reflection — MFA assignments

Studio 1
Assignment 1
Reflective feedback report

Introduction

To contextualise my aims for the Master of Fine Art program, I will first briefly outline the underpinning motivations for my research and discuss two projects created in the final semester of my Master of Photography program – Frisson (Figure 1) (Gay 2021) and All dressed up and nowhere to go (Figure 2) (ibid 2021). Next, I will provide documentation of a selection of experiments undertaken this semester and select readings and artists informing my practice and methods and methodologies related to my current study. To conclude, I will reflect on the work undertaken and the advice I have received from my lecturers and supervisor.

Motivation

Like many people, I experience physical and psychological sensations when listening to music and making and viewing art, while my research of neuroscience, phenomenology, and psychophysics (psychoacoustics) informs my creative investigation into the visual iteration of frissons. [1] Furthermore, I have worked in the live music industry for decades primarily as a social documentary and concert photographer, and to a lesser degree, as a magazine publisher and online editor and in event management.

Past projects and research

My Master of Photography capstone project, Frisson, uses experimental analogue photography, printmaking and installation to visually iterate physical and psychological sensations experienced when listening to music. The project addresses the phenomenology of mental and bodily sensations experienced when listening to music and making and consuming art [2], otherwise known as frissons. I researched fields of neuroscience and phenomenology to develop an understanding of how the human body responds to and interprets rhythm, energy and auditory and visual stimuli. The objective of the folio presentation was to foster interaction between observer, artworks and space to create visual and spatial interplays that unfold as a real-time event, reflecting the real-time occurrence of frissons.

**Figure 1.** Zo Gay, *Frisson* installation view, 2021

Presented as a street poster campaign comprising seven double A0 prints, my project All dressed up and nowhere to go depicts the facades of Melbourne live music venues impacted by the pandemic. The project aims to interpret Melbourne music performance, communities, and creativity in a pre- and post-pandemic era. The baron streetscapes depicted in the photographs aim to reflect the challenges of the pandemic on the live music community and culture. For example, due to restrictions such as capacity quotients and social distancing, many venues were not able to trade, which in turn saw bands without a space to perform [3], prompting me to further investigate the complex interconnections between artists and fandom, exploring the significance of traditional (face-to-face) gatherings compared to digital delivery of real-time performances [4] also reflected in the empty streetscapes.

**Figure 2.** Zo Gay, *All dressed up and nowhere to go* installation view, 2021

Selected experiments [5]

Projects undertaken for the Master of Fine Art program included introducing unfamiliar elements into my practice, such as painting (Figures 3–4), which produced unsatisfactory results that did not reflect or iterate mental and bodily responses to musically and visually induced frisson but more my frustration in working with the medium.

Printmaking artefacts (Figure 5) and abstract film photography (Figure 6) were also used to make photogravure prints on various substrates. Although the traces and movement in the artefacts and abstract photography were captivating, offering a potential representation of physical and psychological networks that receive and interpret auditory and visual stimuli, which manifest tangibly as frissons. As with the painting, I was not satisfied with the print’s outcomes, representation, or overall aesthetic and have chosen not to work with these visual concepts as they feel forced and cliche.

Additional experiments using ink on tracing paper (Figure 7) for making silk screens and making mixed media montages were made, but as with the methods outlined above, did not result in successful outcomes and have thus not been pursued.

**Figure 7.** Zo Gay, *Auditory perception*, 2022, ink on 50gsm tracing paper

Conclusion

My research in neuroscience, phenomenology, physics and urban culture reveals new knowledge that promises to inform a comprehensive studio-based study to visually iterate musically induced frisson. Although I am still experimenting with the methods I will use for the project, my initial creative investigations in Studio 1 for the MFA have not produced outcomes worth pursuing. However, the process has reminded me of the adage, “Love what you make and make what you love”, leading me back to photography, where I am photographing my day-to-day life (Figures 8–12) while continuing to investigate studio-based research. My field of references includes Modernist and Contemporary artists such as Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Man Ray, Floris Neusüss, Eileen Quinlan and Mariah Robertson.

I read daily and watch documentaries about art theory, philosophy (although I struggle to stay focused on that) and music. The music documentaries are informative as the musicians talk freely about “feel” and how music connects with energy in their songwriting, performing and collaborations, all of which relate to my research.

Pinhole photography may be interesting, while another avenue to explore is distortion. All the effects would be achieved in-camera/capture, reflecting, and iterating my own experience. The challenge and the constraints would also serve me well for keeping on an even keel without spinning into a creative hot mess. I am hesitant to continue with photogravure. The prints can be made on the etching presses at RMIT, but the plates can only be made at Baldessin Press, which is prohibitive. The darkroom is good, although the scale of work is small, and I would need to hire space to print, while photo screen printing is accessible and cost-effective.

It would be fascinating to investigate digital imaging of human responses to visual and auditory stimuli and learn from researchers currently working in the fields of neuroscience and physics.

To share that I have no idea what I am making and am at a complete creative loss is daunting and terrifying. Without a clear plan and outcome to work towards, I flounder without focus. That does not mean I need to know what I will make, but more what I am making for. My supervisor has provided me with exercises that prompt creative focus and direction. They have also scheduled an additional meeting to discuss my approach and project ideas moving forward, for which I am grateful.

**Figure 8.** Zo Gay, *Home* (1), 2022, scan of 35mm negative

**Figure 9.** Zo Gay, *Home* (2), 2022, scan of 35mm negative

**Figure 10.** Zo Gay, *Home* (3), 2022, scan of 35mm negative

**Figure 11.** Zo Gay, *Home* (4), 2022, scan of 35mm negative

**Figure 12.** Zo Gay, *Tea and falafel* (self-portrait), 2022, scan of 4x5” negative

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Footnotes

Frissons are sudden, intense emotional and/or physical responses to something (Juslin and Västfjäll 2018). Many people experience frissons when listening to music, which manifests as tingles, chills and goosebumps (Gay 2021).
The term “making and consuming art” applies to composing, performing and listening to music and making and viewing 2D art such as photographic prints and paintings.
Social distancing restrictions prevented bands from performing live and prohibited them from rehearsing and creating as a collaborative group.
Creswell Jones and Bennet (2015, 14) assert, “The live concert as an unrepeatable, exclusive event, grounded in time and space”.
Additional creative investigations I have undertaken in the Master of Fine Art program may be viewed online at https://zed-oh.com.

Bibliography

ABC Science. 2016. Power of Music on the Brain | Dementia & Parkinson’s. YouTube video, 00:29:17. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnUSNbqtVJI&t=943s.

Amyl and the Sniffers. “Guided by Angels”. Directed by John Angus Stewart. July 8, 2021. Music video. 04:00. https://youtu.be/Z--D1flPLnk.

Bennett, Andy, and Susanne Janssen. 2015. “Popular Music, Cultural Memory, And Heritage”. Popular Music and Society 39 (1): 1-7. doi:10.1080/03007766.2015.1061332.

Bruscia, Kenneth E. 2013. Defining Music Therapy. eBook. University Park: Barcelona. ProQuest Ebook Central. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/rmit/reader.action?docID=3117673&ppg=28.

Cotton, Charlotte. 2015. Photography is Magic. 1st ed. New York: Aperture.

Cresswell Jones, Angela, and Rebecca Jane Bennett. 2015. The Digital Evolution Of Live Music. Waltham, MA: Chandos Publishing an imprint of Elsevier.

Crum, Lawrence, and Kullervo Hynynen. 1996. “Sound Therapy”. Physics World 9 (8): 28-34. doi:10.1088/2058-7058/9/8/22.

Dickerman, Leah, and Brigid Doherty. 2005. Dada. Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art in association with D.A.P. / Distributed Art Publishers.

Eisele, Petra, Isabel Naegele, and Michael Lailach. 2019. Moholy-Nagy and the New Typography. Berlin: Verlag Kettler.

Foucault, Michael. 2020. Power: Essential Works of Foucault 1954–84: Volume Three. 3rd ed. Great Britten: Penguin Books.

Gay, Zo. 2021. All dressed up and nowhere to go: A photographic essay interpreting Melbourne music performance, communities, and creativity in a pre- and post-pandemic era. PFD. https://zed-oh.com/mop-assignments/tccp-project

Gay, Zo. 2021. Frisson: A sculptural photographic installation investigating physical and psychological sensations experienced when listening to music. Master of Photography (by Coursework) exegesis, RMIT. PDF. https://zed-oh.com/mop-assignments/studio-4-adr.

Grohl, Dave. 2013. Sound City. Film, 01:48:00. Gravitas Ventures. https://rmit.kanopy.com/video/sound-city.

Halbreich, Kathy, Mark Godfrey, Lanka Tattersall, and Magnus Schaefer. 2014. Alibis: Sigmar Polke 1963–2010. London: Tate Publishing.

Heaney, Conor. 2019. “Tragic Rhythms: Nietzsche and Agamben on Rhythm and Art.” PDF. la Deleuziana 10: 61–78. http://www.ladeleuziana.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Heaney.pdf.

Heroux, Erick. 2001. “Power. Vol. 3 Of The Essential Works Of Foucault, 1954-1984”. Substance 30 (3): 143-150. doi:10.1353/sub.2001.0025.

Jarmusch, Jim. 2016. Gimme Danger. Film. Low Mind Films and New Element Media. https://rmit.kanopy.com/video/gimme-danger-0.

Juslin, Patrik N., and Daniel Västfjäll. 2008. “Emotional Responses To Music: The Need To Consider Underlying Mechanisms.” Behavioral And Brain Sciences 31 (5): 559-575. doi:10.1017/s0140525x08005293.

Kuenzli, Rudolf E. 2015. Dada. London: Phaidon.

Lamb, Robert. 2021. “The Stoned Ape Hypothesis: Did Magic Mushrooms Influence Human Evolution?”. Howstuffworks. https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/evolution/stoned-ape-hypothesis.htm.

Gay, Zo. 2021. Gillick, Liam. 1995. “Interview: I Will Not make any More Boring Art.” Art Monthly (Archive : 1976-2005) (187): 3-4, 6-7. https://login.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/interview-i-will-not-make-any-more-boring-art/docview/1366938379/se-2?accountid=13552.

Miguel Abreu Gallery. 2014. “Eileen Quinlan: Selected Press.” Miguel Abreu Gallery. PDF. https://miguelabreugallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/EQuinlan_SelectedPress_opt-2.pdf.

Minissale, Gregory. 2021. Rhythm in Art, Psychology and New Materialism. Cambridge: University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/rmit/detail.action?docID=6499776.

Moholy-Nagy, Laszlo. 1925. Bauhausbucher 8: Painting Photography Film. Zurich: Lars Müller Publishers, 2019.

Ræbild, Ulla & Piper, Anna & Nimkulrat, Nithikul. 2018. Soft Landing.

Roederer, Juan G. 1973. Introduction to the Physics and Psychophysics of Music. London: English Universities Press.

Sartori, Andreza, Dubravko Culibrk, Yan Yan, and Nicu Sebe. 2015. “Who’s Afraid of Itten: Using the Art Theory of Color Combination to Analyze Emotions in Abstract Paintings.” In Proceedings of the 23rd ACM International Conference on Multimedia, 311–320. ACM. https://rmit.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/61RMIT_INST/4t5l5f/cdi_acm_primary_2806250.

Sakai, Katsuyuki, Okihide Hikosaka, Satoru Miyauchi, Ryousuke Takino, Tomoe Tamada, Nobue Kobayashi Iwata, and Mathew Nielsen. 1999. “Neural Representation of a Rhythm Depends On Its Interval Ratio”. The Journal or Neuroscience 19 (22): 10074-10081. doi:10.1523/jneurosci.19-22-10074.1999.

Schirmer, Annett, Maria Wijaya, Man Hey Chiu, Burkhard Maess, and Thomas C Gunter. 2020. “Musical Rhythm Effects on Visual Attention Are Non-Rhythmical: Evidence Against Metrical Entrainment”. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience 16 (1-2): 58-71. doi:10.1093/scan/nsaa077.

Snoad, Laura. 2022. “8 Makers Using Biodesign To Grow Their Work”. Crafts Council. https://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/stories/8-makers-using-biodesign-grow-their-work.

Thacker, Eugene. 2003. “Data Made Flesh: Biotechnology and the Discourse of the Posthuman.” Cultural Critique, no. 53: 72–97. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1354625.

Thaut, Michael. 2008. Rhythm, Music, and the Brain: Scientific Foundations and Clinical Applications. London: Taylor & Francis Group. ProQuest Ebook Central. DOI:10.4324/9780203958827

MFA S1 A1