Cognition

The acoustical composition that I have made is created by 8 recordings of my car approximately 9 minutes in length each. It illustrates the complex environment of the car and brings to light the sounds of the vehicle that we are not used to hearing. Furthermore, during the process of doing the recordings, I became fascinated with how exactly my body influences and narrates the sound of the recording. Through reading and researching auto mechanics, I have been able to imagine the path of my actions through the engine and I have been able to understand each sound that is produced. However, the experience of driving remains incognitive as I first discovered it to be before beginning my research and recordings. If we could experience the auto mechanics visually and at an overwhelming scale while we are driving, perhaps, the practice of drawing would become more cognitive.

[The User] an art collaborative by Thomas McIntosh and Emmanuel Madan in Montreal created an awe inspiring series of works titled 'Coincidence Machines.' The first installation was an 8 foot tall amphitheater for one. Lining the conic shaped walls are over 1200 small IKEA clocks. The clocks are untouched, original and completely utilitarian. Singularly, the clocks would barely pass for a bed side table, but together, the symphony of small engines overwhelm the viewer with an unequaled experience of listening.

The true phenomenon of my research is the incognitive relationship between man and machine which was been emphasized by the acoustical and material conditions of the automobile. Interestingly, this relationship can be analyzed anywhere we look. We use machines for the final purpose that they were designed for and we are content knowing nothing about how they work. A car is a means of transportation. A microwave heats our food. A dishwasher cleans our dirty dishes. If we understood exactly how each of these inventions worked mechanically, would it change the way we use them. The driver who is a also a mechanic is likely a more cognitive driver because he is more concerned with the well being of the mechanical components and he understands what habits of driving are affecting the deterioration of those components.

What if we drove the car from within the engine, or rather, the engine components surrounded us as we drove. Of course each component has been specifically placed for its purpose but if we were visually made aware of the ‘kinetic motion’ of the automobile as we drove, how would it change our driving habits. Would our experience of using the automobile cognitively influence our habits.