Draft

-- < Perceptual Correspondences of Abstract Animation and Synthetic Sound > by Ardriano Abbado is a reviewed excerpt from the 1988 MIT Media Laboratory M.S. thesis. In Ardriano’s opinion, it is possible to establish links between perceptual categories of synthetic sounds and abstract visual forms. The excerpt is consisted of five chapters, in the first chapter “Dynamics”, he described an audiovisual piece , which is called “Dynamics”. He indicated that there were three correspondences in “Dynamics” between audio and visual: timbre, spatial localization and intensity. Therefore, in the following chapters, Ardriano explained how these three elements effect on audiovisual arts.

First correspondence- Timbre sometimes plays an equally important role in the music cultures, especially in this century, timbre has become increasingly important in western music, with the control of timbre now made possible through analysis and synthesis. Relatively, in the visual domain, Ardriano thinks “shape” is the element that best defines and object comparing to other attributes such as: color, lighting, specular reflectance of the surface. In that case, associating shape to timbre becomes the primary importance.

Second correspondence- Generally, music should be considered as an artform that not only uses the dimension of time, but also the dimension of space, in the same way as visual arts should be thought of involving time as well as space. Sometimes it’s necessary to have the visual objects smoothly merge with others or with the background, in order to better simulate the effects of the sounds.

Third correspondence- Intensities of the aural and visual events such as: loudness and brightness. Ardiano here made an example, when loudness of a sound changes, the brightness of the visual should correspond to the changes. When the visual object fades out, loudness reaches aero relatively.

Ardriano explained the method how he create the correspondences between audio and visual in the fifth chapter, and in the last chapter, Ardriano indicated on his preference on the order of creating sound and visual. Moreover, he explored more deeply in how to make the composition of an audiovisual work. How to analyze audio part and furthermore create the visual part.

-- <It’s Supposed to Look Like Shit: The Internet Ugly Aesthetic> by Nick Douglas mainly demonstrates the definition, causes and status of internet ugly.

Internet Ugly is nearly the opposite, an imposition of messy humanity upon an online world of smooth gradients, blemish-correcting Photoshop, and AutoCorrect. She thinks the internet ugly is the one that best defines the internet against all other media. As long as some creators have more ideas than capabilities by using internet tools to create images, there will always be an internet ugly.

In the following paragraphs, Nick showed several examples of internet ugly. 1. “Rage comics”. 2. “Shitty watercolor”. 3. “The Shitty Network”. 4. “Nailed It”. 5. “Bazinga Comics”. 6. “Snapchat”.

Nick indicated in the essay that the most basic cause of internet ugly is that unpolished executions of good ideas can now be seen by millions. Internet provides a easy way for anyone or any group to share with others. A good idea doesn’t need to be in its final draft to take off, it can also be a rough sketch. One good point from Nick is usually the changes are the result of technological improvements. New technologies, especially new internet platforms and apps, has yanked us back into the world of awkward inputs. Moreover, old kinds of internet ugly can return through nostalgic affectation. For example : Designer Catherine Frazier created the blog Animated Text in 2013 to turn funny or bizarre phrases into animated word art.

To conclude, Nick demonstrated the works of internet ugly could be characterized as the internet’s “folk art”: they reflect the cultures of the sites that invent and reshape them, they have purposes outside serious aesthetics, and they are often made by amateurs.

--As for my own research direction, “Perceptual Correspondences of Abstract Animation and Synthetic Sound “ could be an academic direction while “Internet Ugly” could be the content. In my flipbook project, I explore the relationship between sounds and motion graphics. Additionally, I released glitched, distorted graphics and objects, which are supposed to look ugly can be surprisingly beautiful and attractive.

“Perceptual Correspondences of Abstract Animation and Synthetic Sound “ demonstrates an excellent example of how to transfer a perception form into another perception form (audio to visual or visual to audio). Personally, it shows a big impact on how art works could interact with viewers.