Mark Fell (b.1966) is a multidisciplinary artist based in Rotherham. He studied film and video art at Sheffield Polytechnic and is part of the glitch dj duo snd. Attack on Silence (2007) is an audiovisual performance and installation work using video projection and multichannel sound. Merging his practices in experimental electronic music, computer science, philosophy and video, the work studies the relationships between geometry, colour, and waveform. The idea of sacred geometries and sounds that invites the exploration of human consciousness like in meditation, is said to reflect the worlds atomic structures. Pulling from this, Fell using digital synthesis creates minimal yet complex combinations of sound, shape, speed, and colour that change, repeat, and sustain. Algorithms affect the fundamental relationship between the sound and projection creating a blend of complex computerised technology and the simplicity of spirituality and existence. Silence is attacked evoking emotion, reaction and contemplation.
I find this work quite challenging in its simplicity. The blending horizons of colour are mesmerising yet paired with harsh, oblique, almost uncanny, and auditory illusion-like synth sounds create a cognitive dissonance. The clinical, highly digital noise that possesses no resonance or pleasant timbre sound unpleasant on my headphones, but no doubt would be something worth experiencing in person (being enveloped by 8.1 sound and vibrations). I am reminded slightly of John and James Whitney’s film exercises from 1943; some decades have past and we now see something that appears simpler yet tries to digitise the sacred and ineffable. This work does inspire me to appreciate that what can appear to be minimal can actually have extremely complex thought and technical process behind it. It also makes me consider visuals and projections in a non-cinematic perspective. This has made me realise, in making my project, I had not thought about a lot of audio-visual techniques such as certain colours could be represented by a sound. I can take this into my next project as I aim to create a site specific noise and projection installation.