Sharing Architecture: Space,Time and the Aesthetics of Pressure

Abstract

Exploring acoustic space, this article aims to supplement the practice of acoustic design by exposing other perspectives on sound’s relationship to space. Following Paul Carter’s notion of sonic ambiguity, the author contends that the idealized sonic image of acoustics eliminates the potentiality inherent to sound and listening as forces of relational intensity and differentiation. To draw out this tension, the article examines alternative forms of acoustics as appearing within the practice of sound art. Through eccentric and speculative design, sound art comes to demonstrate a vital addition to notions of acoustics; by creating heightened listening experiences that exceed the traditional concepts of fidelity, it cultivates forms of noise by integrating extreme volume and frequency, building fantastical architectures for their diffusion, and incorporating a dynamic understanding of psychoacoustics and perception. Through such elements, sound and space are brought together and deliver other forms of acoustical experience while hinting at potentialities for their application in environments outside the art situation. Works by such artists as Tao G. Vrhovec Sambolec and John Wynne provide a vibrant terrain for registering how sound comes to perform as spatial material.