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Preparation
Voice messages are filtered from ambient noise and translated into a format compatible with a spectrographic analyser (SpA).
The SpA processes the sound file and displays visual interpretations according to various parameters such as sample rate, frequency range, bands per octave, bandwidth filter, lines per second, etc. Slight adjustments to these parameters allow us to highlight certain aspects, increase the clarity of the output and select the most suitable image from an artistic point of view.
At this stage we have different types of black and white images, as shown in the examples below.
sample 1: 3D graphic
(sound level-frequency-time)
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sample 2: 2D graphic
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sample 3: 3D graphic
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The three samples above and the one below show four different spectral representations of the recording of Marilyn Monroe’s famous line “Come on now, everything's fine” (from “The Seven Year Itch”, directed by Billy Wilder in 1955).
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Each grey dot in these graphs corresponds to a precise value. Samples 1 and 4 show 3-dimensional sound wave graphs where the x-axis (left to right) corresponds to time, so the first word Marilyn pronounces is on the left and the last is on the right. The y-axis (bottom to top) corresponds to the frequency of her voice at a given moment, while the different shades of grey represent the sound level.
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The tiny grey dot at the point of the red arrow in the image above translates the exact sound level of the 3.5kHz frequency in the “v” of the word “everything” in Marilyn Monroe's recording. These raw images, straight from the spectrograph, may seem rather dull, but they contain all the information we need to interpret the voice message as curves, patches and shades of grey.
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Graphical treatment
We use different filters and colours to emphasise the pattern and dynamics of the voice message. With our world-class graphics software, the possibilities are endless. By defining precise sets of filters, we get an optimised rendering and still retain full control over the content. In theory, we can reverse the process at this stage and go back to the original sound file that was recorded.
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From encoding...
What we have just done is similar to encryption. Let's say, you want to encrypt the message: "Come on now, everything is fine." Then you could use a code table, such as: space = 0 red, C = 3 black; 0 = % green... e = 5 blue etc.. It would look like this: |
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Sure, the colourful gibberish above has nothing to do with art, but it shows the principle of coding. Now, using the same code table and reversing it, you can easily retrieve Marilyn's original message: "Come on now, everything's fine."
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... to art
It is almost as if the preparation, such as filtering, conversion, substitution, coding, etc., is pre-programmed and controlled exclusively by the computer. This is not true, however, because the computer is only a tool and the painter retains full control. Throughout the whole process he makes very personal decisions: how and what to change, which element to deform or which parts to merge, which colours to use, what to add or delete, which parts to highlight or hide...
Finally, the painter will transfer the computer graphics to the canvas and bring the painting to life. On a purely technical level, it is not easy to accurately translate all the subtle details and nuances of these computer images. It takes a lot of artistic experience. Then there is the personality of the artist, his choice of tools, colours and techniques. As in classical painting, the artist expresses both intended and unintended visions and feelings.
This whole process of transferring the human voice to the canvas can be compared to traditional portrait painting. The computer is just a tool, like a brush, an instrument necessary to make invisible qualities - namely sound waves - visible to the eye. And the whole process is heavily influenced by the painter.
For that reason we can call these paintings portraits of the human voice. If you are interested in further explanations from the painter, please click on interview.
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