Audio Visual demos

Back in Japan we recorded some sounds Katsura could make with the leaves. I started exploring the possibilites of transforming these to replace the not-so-great-sounds Katsura was activating through the touch sensor. This is just a start but I put together two short demos of how these might work.
The first one is fairly close to the original sounds. Imagine that these are activated by Katsura:


In this version the leaf sounds are transformed (becoming somewhat like thunders). I tried to place these as if they are triggered by Katsura. I also kept some of the original soundtrack for the sound the leaves make as she is walking through them. But you also hear the original triggered sounds try to ignore those.


These are just illustrations of two possibilities. If I have more time I will try to create more.

Reflection on improv. at Symposium on 9th Dec

Since we worked intensively in Tokyo, already almost a month has passed. My memory is becoming vague. Before the experience is washed out by other more recent experiences, I have to leave something here, hoping this would lead a thread that I can grab to recall what I was working on in the days when I was completely soaked in the creative process of Ukiyo.

In terms of my character making, the last improvisation I did there was at the symposium on 9th December.

The only and the most important thing I have to hold onto is LEAVES.
The sound of leaves.
The texture of leaves.
The smell of leaves.
..and what do I associate from them as personal experience?
(cf. My entry on 8th Dec)


In G-sec where we had the symposium, there were no leaves. Only the virtual leaves on screen, which we cannot touch, and which don't smell.

How can I transform the virtual leaves more sensorial by my performance so that the viewers can share my sensations I had experienced?

This was my big question. What can I do apart from relying on the virtual information on the screen?



A minute before performance, Oded, the sound expert, suggested to use a piece of paper to create similar sound that leaves would make.
This, totally makes sense to me.
This, kind of transformation is essential in art.
This, is even better than having actual leaves.
This, would add another layer of meaning and interpretation on top.

I also had an idea of tearing the paper into pieces during the performance, which, I imagined, would present pieces of leaves, many many of them.

These are enough idea. I was ready to perform. The focus is sensory experience of the viewers. My body movement is no more important than the sound I make or yellow leaves they see on the screen. The light must be off.
The paper must be hidden from the eyes of the viewers, so that they can connect the sound to more dominant visual information, leaves. I stand as near by the yellow leaves as possible, holding a piece of paper in front of me, showing the back to the viewers.



I step back gradually towards the viewers, start teaing the paper, and throwing smaller pieces of paper.

After finishing the paper, my tactile memory of leaves comes in. It tend to be on floor, as leaves tend to be on floor- but it is something I can challenge in future to change the dimension. Perhaps leaves could be not on floor, then how do I react and play with them?


Another thing, actually I was determined in advance was to use my voice. Thanks to Caroline's voice warm ups during the period, my body was more ready to utter some sound. In fact, just before this performance, I was more conscious about releasing tension around my jaw, neck and throat. Usually I would have same consciousness towards the spine, hips and feet.

From my observation, at the moment I have an assumption that the voice is effective when it brings something that I am not expressing with my movement. And unless I want to create top high energy, voice and movement do not need to happen together. They complement each other and they are like two lines of waves.

I used scream-like high pitch voice in this performance, which for me means the peak of emotion.

Photos by Anne-Laure Misme

I have no idea how the viewers perceived my performance, but for me there are some useful findings that probably I can keep and work on more towards more structured performance.

To finish up, I copy and paste some comments from email correspondence among us. Hope Johannes and Michele do not mind...

------
Katsura started her final demonstration with the (acoustic rustling sound) of leaves (paper), and perhaps the materials, once again, can push you to do more

So i am suggesting that Katsura continue to work with the character she has found, the Mutant Woman in Red, and then explore the transformation to LeavesWoman and the effects this has on her white runway. . And also keep in mind that the fragility of life, of the body, is here mirrored by the leaves. they will rot. The sleeve created by Michele with plastic matter/contours will brittle away, as Michele already implied, to dust. What does such transformation mean in your imagination, Katsura, trails of dust? sounds of dust? ephemerality and evanescence of Ukiyo-e?
Johannes 14/12/09

-----

Katsura, I think I am quite in touch with in terms of leaf dance but wonder what we should design here and what is possible to design now our leaves begin to crumble. Of course I like the crumbling too and I like the partial states of garment for you.
Michele 15/12/09

----

And here is my response to them.

I would like to remember that the leaves idea came when we went for a walk. The purpose of the walk for me was to find similar qualities and textures of the red sleeves. Now the conversation sounds like that I have two separated characters- red mutant woman and leaves woman, but it is important for me to keep the link between them. Red sleeve transforms itself into leaves. And now I am looking into the possibility to transform the leaves into something else since leaves seem too obvious expression for me and also I see the difficulty to keep them in shape. In the final demonstration at G-sec Johannes mentioned, I did not have leaves and just a moment before the performance Oded suggested to use a piece of paper to make some leaves-like sound. The performance was 100% improvisation as my usual so perhaps I did not make use of all the potential the paper has, but I see this as very possible transformation from leaves. Here we still have to remember the progression from red sleeve - yellow leaves - a piece of paper that is torn into small pieces during performance. If we want we can keep the carpet of yellow leaves and I will keep the tactile sensation of leaves, but I think the garment does not need to be made with leaves.
Katsura 28/12/09

----

This is where we ended. I will remember to start from here in the next lab on 31st January.

Leaves Woman vs. Metal Woman

7th Dec

An improvisation between Anne-Laure and Katsura.

Without having talked beforehand, a brief narrative of battle has emerged.

Metal Woman invades and try to occupy the Leaves Land. Although once it seems that the attempt of Metal Woman is successful, she looses her power as being suffocated by the sleeve of Leaves Woman.

Touch sensor manipulates sound

8th Dec

A short footage to show Oded's sound manipulated by a touch sensor on Helenna's thumb.

Doros's Virtual Ukiyo

8th Dec
A clip of Doros's virtual Ukiyo.
The leaves going up is triggered by a touch sensor designed by Eng Tat.
The world rotates with a signal from a bend sensor although you cannot see it on this video.

Is that right?

Leaves Woman 1

7th December
A video footage from the improvisation exploring the leaves wearing a mock leave sleeve.
It was emerged that I can merge myself into the field of leaves.

smell
memory
secret
regret
playing with hand
texture of something fragile, which I can either destroy or cherish

I become a tree.

Leaves woman

Yesterday, Day2 at here KMD Keio University Hiyoshi Campus. We started a workshop.

My personal aim on this 10days residency is to create a convincing performance for myself. I want to be convinced with what I do as a performer in this work.

As I wrote on the previous post, the starting activity is to collect some images and sound that is associated from my clattering red sleeve that Michele made. So I went for a walk to take some pictures around the university campus with Michele and Anne-Laure.

Here are some pictures that have inspired my character.

pieces



pieces hanging

yellow pieces on green

yellow pieces vs. green pieces

layers of time

patterns



a piece in layers

patterns in layers

layers of time

pieces as whole

pieces of time



red pieces in green pieces



thicker pieces, layers



red pieces



placement, patterns



layers of time



pieces of time and force

contrast of nature and industry

I have also taken nice pictures of some indications of industry, which I believe Anne-Laure is representing although I won't put them here because there are too many pictures already. I will wait for someone's contribution for those. But I just want to mention that there is an idea of contrast between nature and industry emerged as well.

The walk was profound experience and has become vital inspiration for the character development.

During the walk, Michele asked me "Do you like nature?"

Yes I do.

And I like these things that I have collected as images above.



After we came back to the lab, Doros presented his magnificent image and system of Ukiyo that integrate real and virtual space. Yes, it is possible to integrate real and virtual space.

Paul asked if it was possible to manipulate only a character (or part) of the virtual world by the performers. Yes, it is possible.

Eng Tat showed us amazingly responsive sensors and suggested how I could interact with the virtual world by using leaves.

All these facts excites me. And I have decided to work on leaves.
What happens if I have a sleeve of leaves instead of the red clattering sleeve?

Michele and I managed to collect two bin liners of the yellow leaves of ginkgo.

We will work on this today.