Looking Outwards 12: Sound Calligraphy/Lyrical Wrap

For the final Looking Outwards post, I decided to compare the projects of artists Ulla Rauter‘s “Sound Calligraphy” and Ronald Pellegrino‘s “Lyrical Wrap.”

Ulla Rauter is a artist and musician whose works focus on the intersection of fine art and sound. Rauter’s “Sound Calligraphy” explores the relationship between script and sound. In a live performance, Rauter draws calligraphic forms, which is then translated into sound through a scanner that employs camera and computer technology; in other words, she is essentially exploring how to draw/write sound. It appears that she attempts to draw certain words (i.e. “somebody”) as shown by the words on the upper right-hand corner, but I am unsure how they correlate to the line marks she makes in her calligraphy. Before watching the performance video, I expected her to write words on the scanner and have them translate into sound.

Sound Calligraphy from Ulla Rauter on Vimeo.

Ronald Pellegrino is an artist that has been involved in intersecting sound and light through electronic art since its inception. His work “Lyrical Wrap” combines five decades of his work in electronic arts into a piece that pairs sound with abstract grids, lines, and various shapes that constantly change. I kind of like how the piece gives off a mysterious air, mostly due to the eerie sounds and accompanying holographic visuals. It makes the viewer feel like they are in some kind of weird dream. Pellegrino has a variety of similar videos, which can all be accessed through his Vimeo channel.

Lyrical Wrap from Ronald Pellegrino on Vimeo.