Audience

Soundscapes are an integral part of Light Years Projects. The Soundscape is individual to the experience of each participant and has been designed and created using ambient sounds found at each location. Audience feedback shows that sound has had a tremendous influence on users’ perception of the installation.

Sound designers believe that sound accounts for more than half of the experience of using an interactive product. Successfully integrating sound into Light Years Projects required special attention to mixing and timing. The sound effects were balanced at every moment to produce the correct emphasis and mood. Synchronizing sound to changes on screen was technically demanding but added substantial impact to the installation.

Anthony has been exploring audio technology and designing sound for his digital work for almost two decades inspired to start creating in part by the audio tracks of early computer games on his Amiga 500.

The next step for Light Years Projects is to include the work of musicians alongside ambient sound to build up intricate layers of rural and urban sounds within their artwork.

Audience response to the work we create has been an important part of the development process for Light years Projects. When Purbeck Light Years became the first digital work to win the Peterborough Art Prize in 2003 it did so due to the support of the public as the Peterborough Prize is the only major contemporary art award shortlisted by a panel of experts and then decided by public vote.

Purbeck Light Years was exhibited in Peterborough and then later for two months at the Lighthouse Centre for the Arts in Poole. These public exhibitions gave us the opportunity to observe the audiences instinctive response to the work and explore the interaction between the digital installation and the original paintings and drawings used to create the piece.

The initial response of the public was extremely positive and their reaction has in turn influenced the development of subsequent Light Years Projects.

The following comments capture some of the individual reactions to the work.

‘Transfixed – the moving screen is quite, quite beautiful, full of emotion, delicacy and strong powerful forms’

‘Wonderful, evocative painting and at last a piece of digital art that’s beautiful and moving and not just clever’

‘Transfixed – the moving screen is quite, quite beautiful, full of emotion, delicacy and strong powerful forms’

‘Refreshing to see someone filling the gap between ‘fine art’ and ‘digital art’. The paintings are skilfully executed and the digital piece is very engaging’

‘Really love the ambient mood created here. Great to know that a painter can move to another artform so naturally and with such feeling’

‘Refreshing to see someone filling the gap between ‘fine art’ and ‘digital art’. The paintings are skilfully executed and the digital piece is very engaging’