Pete Replies To Megan

Ok so firstly, I really like the points you made, they highlight things I had intuited but not considered deeply - e.g.

In a way the question of inner weather or outer weather is two sides of a coin, flipped by perspective—does the light/sound represent the inner world or the outer—It’s a choice, like heads or tails.

I like "the implicit unity" you talk about. More to the point the next paragraph, for me, is right on the money:

 Is it crazy (from a logistics standpoint) to be imaging within the Microcosmos small worlds/objects/groups of objects that have sound and light that come from within them, as well as there being sound and light that is external—in the space of the room and in the object(s).  Could the light and sound of the inner voice/weather be choreographed to make meaning and relation to the outer voice/weather? 

This leads me to visual it like this: the experience of the Microcosmos is of entering a space - the space feels limitless, it is dark and contains numerous lit objects, multiple sounds emanate from within the space. It makes it feel as though sounds and objects are not always visible - some objects are only glimpsed at certain times - some sounds emerge from the darkness. 

Almost like a conversation happening between the object and the room. The inner forces and outer forces in tandem.  Sometimes in harmony, sometimes perhaps dissonance; sometimes happening both at once, other times one alone.  

Echoing each other’s sentiments, or arguing against them.  You wrote about exploring adding sound to static images—perhaps what I’m suggesting would be like the sound of two static images expressing themselves to one another.  Or in reaction to one another.  Perhaps this is close to what you are already imagining.

It’s hard to say, all that sound/light might be too chaotic.  I also often find that more is not necessarily better, and simple can be quite powerful.  

I couldn't agree more - a frustrating chaos needs to be avoided - we're making a piece of art rather than a complex mathematical model. I feel, from a sound point of view, the Microcosmos is kind of like a symphony - but this is an orchestra of soloists (this is actually something I do with time-coded scores). In free jazz people play very much this way but the results for me are often too chaotic, though sometimes extraordinary, whereas symphonies and orchestra repertoire are very precisely defined. I feel there could be moments in the Microcosmos where we are invited to consider a single object/location/sound, where everything else fades for a moment and, let's say for argument's sake, a red light picks out 'Tree-Spoon' and a solitary cello line plays (I imagine other things drop to the background rather than halt altogether).

I like the idea that certain parts of the system are only glimpsed - maybe only seen/heard at certain times - certainly I want to use the vertical plain - I have just made a sketch actually that has an array of 22 speakers at body height with 9 overhead and 1 at floor level - this gives sound the chance to move vertically around the microcosmos and, if used sparingly, to add an extended dimension.

Also, if we’re not careful this whole thing will be saccharine sweet, 

Actually, I'm not worried about this. It will be a space that embodies our own creative responses to the subject - neither of us are much into saccharine sweet - it's always good to flag the question, of course, just to make sure it doesn't end up that way but I think we're both looking towards a deeper exploration of elements here.

So, my question: what do you feel about objects that are not always seen? For example, I mentioned previously some of the 'uterus' imagery you used - I don't specifically mean using those, but I'm interested in the idea of imagery that is only revealed at certain times - perhaps it's at the walls or above us or on the floor (?) We've touched on chakras in conversation - they, of course, have associated colours, do you feel that plays a part in this. Also; how do you see the 'prosaic' objects? Do they have a specific reason for being there? i.e. is a cup, spoon etc symbolic, metaphoric? It feels like dream imagery to me, but I don't know what the dream is telling me - which is not at all a bad thing - I think the idea I've suggested here of having things that only reveal at certain times is in part my own wish to say that the Microcosmos is mysterious, it doesn't lay out all the answers, it also lays out unanswered riddles, perhaps.