Sound Visualization Documentation
Name: CJ
Title of Music: 《Laoshan Taoist Priest》
Artist Name: MaSiWei
SOME INTRODUCTION OF THE MUSIC
The soundtrack:
The poster of the album:
This song is a Chinese rap song released in 2014 by MaSiWei. It is a rap song performed by MaSiwei, with lyrics, composition, and production by himself. It is included in his second mixtape, “P.E.I Vol.2.”
MaSiwei is known for his unique rap style, which is fully showcased in this song. His voice is powerful, conveying deep emotions and passion. The song incorporates elements of Chinese culture, such as Mount Lao and Taoist arts, adding depth and uniqueness to the track. The song emphasizes the value of self-development and self-exploration. The artist mentions not relying on talent but rather seeking clues on one’s own, reflecting the importance of continuous learning and growth.
Here is the MV for the song:
CONCEPT AND DESIGN
Because I selected a Chinese rap song with many elements of Chinese culture as the foundation for my creative work, I used a large number of traditional Chinese characters in the visuals during the sound visualization project. Additionally, to further evoke the style of Chinese culture, I incorporated concepts from traditional Chinese culture, such as Yin and Yang and calligraphy. By using these concepts, I hope to make the entire project have a richer visual and artistic impact.
The Gestalt Theory helps me to think thoroughly of the construction of the image. The use of the Yin and Yang concept creates a distinct contrast in the visuals, while the similarity and proximity between the characters in the text may contribute to a more harmonious and cohesive overall appearance of the artwork. The One Black Square project inspired me how to create visual effect only using two colors–black and white. Indeed, the key lies in the use of shapes and the arrangement of elements within the composition. You can use text to form shapes that enrich the visual aspect of the artwork. Furthermore, the layout of the characters and the shapes they create within the composition is crucial to the overall impact of the piece.
PROCESS
I didn’t take screenshots to document the creative process in a timely manner, so I can only describe it in text here.
The biggest challenge is that I’m not familiar with the new tool–Adobe Illustrator, and many of the effects and operations I want to achieve require careful study. To solve this problem, I sought help from people around me as well as online video resources. I am very grateful to the teachers and classmates who assisted me during this process.
Also, how to make the combination of a large number of Chinese characters more harmonious is a question worth considering. If there are layout issues in the composition, it’s difficult to convey the aesthetic beauty of Chinese culture that I want to convey. In the end, I arranged the text in various positions on the canvas in a winding shape similar to a scroll, so that there is a certain connection between the characters without being too abstract, resulting in a reasonably good visual effect.
Conclusion
If I have more time to complete my work, I will further contemplate the layout of my composition and the selection of text. There is also a lot of creative space for text deformation and other possibilities. I believe that if I have the opportunity next time, I will present a better piece of work to better convey the application of Chinese culture in contemporary art. For example, I could consider incorporating elements such as the Bagua to enhance the overall feel of the composition.
Image of Project
Screenshot：
Full pdf file：sound visualization final
The physical work I kept for myself：
