Seeing Sound at the Sackler: Deriving Experience from Objects

Two weeks ago, I spontaneously decided to visit Washington, D.C. for a much-needed break. In typical Elizabeth fashion, I spent the majority of the day strolling around the city and visiting several museums. The Freer and Sackler Galleries had just reopened so I decided to visit there after leaving the Hirshhorn. Upon entering the museum and descending the stairs, I heard the faintest sound of bells ringing…I just had to search for them.

Image: A Scaled Set of Bells: six bronze alloy bells with three rows of knobs arranged horizontally in a set, mounted, and hung at an angle. ca. 500 BCE.

Resound: Bells in Ancient China is an exhibition that highlights the technological and aesthetic changes in Chinese bells over centuries. Walking through the exhibit, you are immersed in a visual and an auditory experience. As you view bells produced during different dynastic periods, it is as though you can hear the whispers of their past use. Though the exhibition displays bells as individual objects, videos featured in the exhibition demonstrate complexity of producing sound and music. While appreciating each bell’s design, Resound allows you to see sound and music through real-time digital spectrum reports, frequency videos, and illustrated soundscapes. While I personally enjoyed a more interactive exhibition, other visitors relied more on wall text and object labels to learn more about the use of different bells. Fortunately, Resound was flexible enough to accommodate multiple learning styles and still create an informative exhibition.

Image: Hollow Shaft Bell. Bell oriented vertically with the shaft resting on pedestal. The bell contains three rows of knobs and swirling decoration. ca. 1200-1100 BCE.

 

Image: Ancient Chinese bell decorated with three rows of knobs and relief design (left) hung next to a Western designed bell (right). A mallet rests on the table to give visitors the opportunity to strike the bells and see the different spectrums produced by each bell.

 

After leaving Resound, I began to think about how experiencing objects can enhance our understanding of their meaning and importance. The handling privileges we are fortunate to have can overshadow thoughts about how the object was used and handled by its owners. With a breadth of resources available to us, researching an object’s social and historical context becomes somewhat second nature. However, when we focus on the sensory experience of an object – hearing sounds, seeing light, smelling food, sitting on upholstered furniture – we can understand more about ideas of comfort, use, and everyday life during a particular time. Identifying furniture styles and evolutions over time provides valuable information about the culture and society from which they originated. However, thinking about the ways in which one’s physical body adapts to the changing furniture forms deepens our understanding and interpretation of an object. As a someone who identifies as a visual, aural, and kinesthetic learner, it is through sensory experiences with objects that I frame my conception of the world. As I continue my journey in the program, I will make conscious effort to derive experience from objects. Hopefully it will add depth to my interpretations of American material culture.

 

By Elizabeth Humphrey, WPAMC Class of 2019



One response to “Seeing Sound at the Sackler: Deriving Experience from Objects”

  1. brieuntitled says:

    Awesome blog post!

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