Active April - June 15, 2007 

Where does it all begin?

For it matters not how small the beginning may seem to be
- Henry David Thoreau, On the Duty of Civil Disobedience

The question of how a work of art comes into being is a fascinating one. At one time or another, we have all had the experience of being struck by a piece of art. We ask ourselves: were did that idea come from? In general, we all agree about the elusive nature of the creative process, and confronted with our inability to define how it works, we choose to talk of mystery.

The creative process allows the passage from the unconscious to the conscious and to the visible. I am interested in understanding where it all begins -- the internal movement, and its materialization:

What is the starting point of the creative act? What is it that generates an emotion, a turbulence so strong that it provokes the need within us to create something? At what moment does a piece of art start to be "written"? What path does it follow? What is it that allows it to pass from inside to outside? What is it that leads to its materialization via sound, paper, color, or movement?

These questions are at the core of sound art. I am inviting you to reflect on them by creating a short sound piece of your own.

Here is a starting point from which I suggest you work. The  rest is up to you.

ATMOSPHERE: spicy

STYLE: confined

COLOR: elegant.

Duration: 7 minutes maximum
Dynamics: as necessary

Please attach to your submission a short text answering  these two questions:
When did you feel that the work was starting to be "written"?
How did that first become evident to you?
 

- Chantal Dumas, April 2007