Initial experimentations of working with sound carried out whilst setting up audio equipment using an amplifier and different solutions using mica pigments mixed with oil suspended in water (reminiscent of creating Sumagashi-type prints) to produce small prints on paper using human resonance (i.e. holding the input Jack against the palm of my hand) which provided some interesting effects. What I liked most was the variation of the organic-like pattern using different volume and amplifier control settings. Although the resulting work was small, the process achieved reasonably consistent prints. Taking photos of the prints and framing areas in a circular filter gave them an illusion of microscopic views of natural organisms or forms, which was an unexpected but satisfying result.
This experiment was inspired by my MA research into Cymatics by German physicist Ernst Chladni (1786 – 1827) and natural scientist Dr Hans Jenny (1904 – 1972) who carried out further research using Chladni’s plate.
