Do you hear what I hear?

For this blog installment concerning sound, I visited the Haggerty Museum and checked out the Stop.Look.Listen. exhibit. One thing that Glenn Bach mentioned in our class discussion on field recordings resonated with me in regards to experiencing these films. Sound or absence of it is used, not to impose will on the audience, but helping to create a charged space where the audience can bring their own ideas to the experience. I believe these pieces to illustrate this concept.
In Mircea Cantor’s “Deeparture” (2005), two carnal enemies, a deer and wolf, are enclosed in a white room, much like the gallery its viewers find themselves in. The film is completely silent and is the only piece in the exhibit not containing noise of some form. Though completely silent, this aspect of “Deerapture” adds something to the piece, serving a function. Eventually, the wolf paces around the deer in the white room, visibly panting. The wolf is licking his chops if you will. You can’t hear it, but you can. The viewer makes mentally makes the connection, thus enhancing its effect. The absence of sound adds feelings of paranoia as the viewer nervously awaits the impending, vicious attack by the wolf. The lack of noise helps the viewer to not be distracted by the feelings conjured by the piece and the mental connections made during the film help to make these feelings stronger.
Janet Biggs’ “Predator and Prey” was a side by side, dual projection. Unlike “Deerapture” where silence served feelings of fear and anticipation, Biggs uses sound to illustrate feelings. Some of the memorable subjects in the piece were stampeding horses, loudly pounding the ground, swimming polar bears and soaring eagles. At one point in the film, one projection displayed an eagle and the other projection displayed a man. The eagle belted out a mighty squeal which rang eardrums, and the man on the screen opposite of the eagle appeared to be rubbing his head. The loud sound and imagery conjured up thoughts of having a headache, recalling such feelings. One sequence from “Predator and Prey” consisted of a polar bear swimming increasingly close to the screen. The noise provided here was minimal. The massive polar bear approaching was startling and more shocking the closer it got. I believe the lack of noise accompanying the bear heightened this effect.