Djenark (The Silver Gull)(2021), a series of four audiovisual pieces commissioned by Edith Cowan University’s Department of Education based on the bird and one of its habitats – Pelican Point / Booriarup. The series explores the spiritual dimensions of Djenark in Noongar culture, as well as feelings of change, longing, separation and loss and how these relate to the artist’s own personal history. Incorporating aural and visual elements of a place in a composition can be a powerful way of exploring the intersections of time, history and geographical features that exist within a location. The combination of these elements can act as an invitation for deeper engagement through offering multiple perspectives of place. This paper explores the use of field recordings, music visualisation and sonification as ways of exploring these intersections. Techniques used to create the series include sonifying a map of the area using Iannix (a graphical sequencer), and creating music visualisations from compositions using a combination of original and modified field recordings. Through this practice, the author aims to explore how sound and visual elements can combine and resonate with the other, and how such a practice can highlight the connections between artist and place. Incorporating aural and visual elements of a place in a composition can be a powerful way of exploring the intersections of time, history and geographical features that exist within a location. The combination of these elements can act as an invitation for deeper engagement through offering multiple perspectives of place. Djenark (The Silver Gull) is an exploration of connections between artist, history and place, and how these aspects can inform the creation of a work.
