Photophonics

Friedrich Kittler has described the discourse network of the later nineteenth century as effecting a conspicuous separation of the different sensory and mediatic channels, splitting apart the spontaneous cross-sensory concourse of eye, hand and ear at the beginning of the century. But he also shows...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Steven Connor
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Royal Danish Library 2013-01-01
Series:SoundEffects
Online Access:https://www.soundeffects.dk/article/view/15645
id doaj-1e039bd9de95462c8a0950f6ed77b1c2
record_format Article
spelling doaj-1e039bd9de95462c8a0950f6ed77b1c22020-11-24T21:56:05ZengRoyal Danish LibrarySoundEffects1904-500X2013-01-0131-210.7146/se.v3i1-2.1564514380PhotophonicsSteven ConnorFriedrich Kittler has described the discourse network of the later nineteenth century as effecting a conspicuous separation of the different sensory and mediatic channels, splitting apart the spontaneous cross-sensory concourse of eye, hand and ear at the beginning of the century. But he also shows that the later years of the nineteenth century are also characterised by a kind of conversion mania, as inventors and engineers sought more and more ways in which different kinds of energy and sensory form could be translated into each other. That one of the most important imaginary diseases of the fin-de-siècle was the condition known as ‘conversion hysteria’ is perhaps a sign of how far-reaching this enthusiasm was for the idea of translated energies and outputs. This essay considers the nature and significance of conversions between sound and vision from the late nineteenth century onwards, first, in the rendering of sound in visible forms, and then in the more contemporary enthusiasm for the ‘sonification’ of various kinds of phenomena. https://www.soundeffects.dk/article/view/15645
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Steven Connor
spellingShingle Steven Connor
Photophonics
SoundEffects
author_facet Steven Connor
author_sort Steven Connor
title Photophonics
title_short Photophonics
title_full Photophonics
title_fullStr Photophonics
title_full_unstemmed Photophonics
title_sort photophonics
publisher Royal Danish Library
series SoundEffects
issn 1904-500X
publishDate 2013-01-01
description Friedrich Kittler has described the discourse network of the later nineteenth century as effecting a conspicuous separation of the different sensory and mediatic channels, splitting apart the spontaneous cross-sensory concourse of eye, hand and ear at the beginning of the century. But he also shows that the later years of the nineteenth century are also characterised by a kind of conversion mania, as inventors and engineers sought more and more ways in which different kinds of energy and sensory form could be translated into each other. That one of the most important imaginary diseases of the fin-de-siècle was the condition known as ‘conversion hysteria’ is perhaps a sign of how far-reaching this enthusiasm was for the idea of translated energies and outputs. This essay considers the nature and significance of conversions between sound and vision from the late nineteenth century onwards, first, in the rendering of sound in visible forms, and then in the more contemporary enthusiasm for the ‘sonification’ of various kinds of phenomena.
url https://www.soundeffects.dk/article/view/15645
work_keys_str_mv AT stevenconnor photophonics
_version_ 1725859616815841280