August has arrived already!

While no physical production pieces have been completed, I have spent a fair amount of time along the river, working out different angles and considering how I can evolve my practice to fit in with the challenges of my FMP.

I have also conducted further reading into achieving a better understanding of Barthes Signified and Signifier. This I feel, will help me determine what direction to take my practice for my FMP.

I noted a quote from Barthes 1977 Elements of Semiology – when looking at the Signifier he states:

“its purely a relatum, whose definition can not be separated from that of the Signified. The only difference is that the Signifier is the mediator: some matter is necessary to it. But on the other hand, it is not sufficient to it, and on the other hand, in semiology, the Signifier can to be related by certain matter: that of words. This materiality of the Signifier makes it once more necessary to distinguish clearly matter from substance: a substance can be immaterial (in the case of the substance of the content); therefore all one can say is that the substance of the Signifier is always material (sounds, objects, images).

Visually for me the best way to demonstrate this is through the following images:

Figure 1

 

Figure 2

In figure 1, we see a view of the river in mid-summer. It is the standard view that most people would relate to.

In figure 2, however, we see a view from the same piece of the river, looking in the same direction – but a different gaze.

My findings here very much indicate, that: to achieve works that will resonate with a local audience, I must focus on the subjective and not the objective views. Figure 1 can easily be described as the signifier with figure 2 very much working towards the signified.

Barthes would argue that in order to achieve the correct balance, both should be represented within my work. Therefore any audio piece should be accompanied by a scene that grounds the audience and then takes them onto a more surreal journey.

I am now more determined to find a better description and name for my project as current efforts are still not progressing.

My project has become more of an unguided theory than a research piece, and I need to find ways to salvage my direction and thinking.

 

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References