Final Project - Metro Madness

Audio Portrait

     

Sounds of the City

The forecast called for heavy rain. People began to scatter as they reached for umbrellas, or rushed to find an awning large enough to stay dry under, waiting for the showers to pass. 

After walking a few blocks, the wind has just enough pull to gently guide me to a nearby bench. I take a seat followed by a deep breath.

I’m joined by a young girl who is scrolling through her phone while keeping the other hand busy by pulling on the zipper to her sweatshirt.  

I notice someone else across the street, a young guy, waiting by the bus stop, an empty plastic bottle rolling back and forth beneath his feet. He’s being watched by a woman standing a few feet away, waiting for the same bus to arrive. Her stare deepens as she appears to grow increasingly bothered by the unpleasant crunching noise being created.

The traffic is impossible to ignore. At any time of day or night, it’s easy to listen for a beeping horn or yellow cab come to a screeching halt.

It’s getting late.

I make my way back and head into the train station. There is a couple who have bedding set up on the platform, it acts as a makeshift stage as I watch them advance on their instruments. Clearly regulars there, she begins to play a notable jazz tune on the flute while he lightly strings his guitar to match her rhythm.

At first, I take it all in at once. Then start experimenting with what I’m hearing. Using my focus, I attempt to isolate the flute from the guitar. The harder I concentrate, the more muffled and distant any background sound is becoming. I begin to reconsider what I’m hearing. I notice slight inflections I had missed previously, each note sounding warmer and richer than before. I realize the shift in focus is affecting my interpretation of the music, eliciting different feelings, the performance now holds a different context.

I allow the guitar to slowly fade back in, then out again. I repeat this a few more times, absorbing the difference in experience with each fresh shift of focus.

The train is here.

Artist Statement

I originally decided to pursue a degree in Media because of its increasing relevance in society today; Wanting to cultivate a skill that would allow me to keep up with our technologically inclined world while still granting me the freedom of creative expression. 

I would best describe my aesthetic as being drawn to things that blur the line between reality and illusion. I tend to utilize and manipulate perpendicular shapes and earthy tones in detailed forms to convey this perspective. Presently, the medium where I find most inspiration is Film.

I admire motion pictures like The Matrix for its ability to portray the concept of computers taking over human life while unraveling our ideas about the world from a philosophical standpoint. “You take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.”

In discussing reality vs illusion, I am attempting to challenge what we accept as “true” and “right” in our perception based realities. I aspire to depict images and share ideas that have the ability to stimulate the imagination by creating thoughtful scenes that showcase the many layers that make up the human condition. My work will touch upon existentialism while bringing attention to the way our views shape the world from a socio-cultural perspective as well.