Do Ghosts Say

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DO GHOSTS SAY “WOO”?

Abstract

“Do Ghosts Say ‘Woo’” takes the question as a starting point to look into how we associate certain sounds to certain images. Framed around the idea of the “Acousmetre” as a being which is able to exist outside the cinematic realm, this dissertation seeks to investigate sound as an spectral encounter in order to expose the humanistic implications that lie within the narratives of the imagined presence.

Introduction

When I was young, I was unaware of how my aunt’s kitchen acted as a perfect amplifier for the wind until I first encountered a storm at her house. I have always known that there were soft “swooshes” whenever it rains but was completely oblivious to the terrifying form that same gentle sound could take. While daydreaming in the kitchen on that rainy day, I was caught by an abrupt silence, which then transformed into spontaneous shrieks of “woo(s)”, filling up the space. I turned to the assumed source (the window) of the sound only to freak out even more despite the fact that there was nothing outside. That specific sound conjured an image of a spectral being in my mind, which then led me to run for my dear life.

But, what sound does a ghost make? Do they really go “woo”? I tried digging into the origins of the word and realized that there is in fact, no evidence pertaining to the etymology of the word. The closest bet was a Theremin – an instrument commonly used in horror films to produce spooky ghost effects. But why and how do we associate such a sound to an image of a ghost?

My introduction begins with an example of an entity known as a “Ghost” as a metaphor for sound itself – sound, is often glazed with both cultural and personal meanings; a corporeal being which holds no image but is ultimately drawn from collective representations reflecting layers of truth derived from cultural/contextual implications over time. I draw this in relation to my studio practice which deals with the notions of nature – a concept we can never truly divorce from its’ established frame of references but instead, reflect another aspect of human history.

This dissertation does not focus on the etymology of the word “woo” but instead, takes it as a starting point to later expand on the topic of sound and the construction of its image. By developing a framework around Michel Chion’s term of the “Acousmetre” used in cinematic films along with his interpretations in regards to the “Soundscape”, I would like to take this opportunity to think of the Acousmetre as a being and how they are able to manifest outside the cinematic realm as a reference on how everyday culture and sonic geographies mutually influence each other, constructing perceptions within silent imageries.

The mutable quality of sound is then drawn in context to Bourriand’s theory on “relational aesthetics” to introduce the idea of sound as an open-ended narrative through the examination of trans-disciplinary artists who straddle between sound and visual works to engage a form of aesthetic encounter which thus invites a sociological imagination of the “other”.

Finally, I will be investigating on the notion of “noise” – an irregularity/ disturbance within the realm of listening and an imaginative boundary constructed from sociocultural contexts. Noise here, is seen as a “penetrative narrative” which lies between the gaps of listening and understanding; allowing re-narrations of existing realities which thus offer glimpses into the complex histories we constructed. Such methodology of narration, allows imaginative environments to form while simultaneously structuring an actual environment of vibrations in space. In relation to my studio work, I would like to reflect on how we seem to be concerned, not only with images but the control of acoustic sounds in order to construct a “clean city” – the silencing and rearrangement of existing narratives results in the fictionalisation of our environment which ends up being representational; leading to a desensitization of our everyday.

While the concept of sound within the visual arts has been utilized as a medium and subject, it is vastly overlooked as a process to trigger visceral responses, prompting questions in regards to constructed situations. How can we navigate through our visual-orientated society and instead, locate narratives within the constant flux known as sound?