Thursday, July 2, 2009


Listen for the sounds of a place. I remember Japan by its sounds - the ting, ting, ting that rings out to warn pedestrians, cyclists, and cars that a train is approaching; the unnaturally high-pitched and drawn out voices of young women welcoming you into a shop with irashaimasssseeeee; the high-pitched and hissing ki, ki, ki, ki of the cicada; the hollow plop of a bamboo pole that when filled with water falls to hit a stone; the reverberating bong of a large and ancient Buddhist bell. I also remember Japan by its smells - of pine and cedar forests, of freshly steamed rice and soy sauce, and of temple incense and mildewed tatami. How challenging but engaging it would be to incorporate some of these sounds and smells into a work of art.

What art have you seen that uses sound and smell? What are your sound and smell memories of place?

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