hear/here, gathering the commonplace: towards a new understanding of affect and embodied encounter through constructing non-narrative sound installation by Ana Gabrielle Rutter

This practice research PhD employs concerns of affect theory, sound/fine art, aural ecologies and emergent praxis, while utilising an embodied crip/neurodivergent approach. Investigating sound and affect through the lens of Masumi’s description of microperceptions (from Leibnitz) and linking this to the multifacetedness of aural ecologies. Working with/through gathered materials, exploring initially microperceptions as triggers of non-conscious affective response, and through the praxis adding other elements that inform the making of original artworks as sites of affective encounter. This is a constantly developing, heuristic following, through tests and experimentation for the unfolding of a unique approach to research and creation of fine art works that explore and explicate my/our non-conscious affective response to our quotidian sonic environment. Drawing on Deleuze and Guattari’s Smooth and Striated symbiotic spaces, to create a scaffolding for working with; affecting slippery ‘stuff’, this bodymind, and to maintain the affecting qualities of the materials. The praxis centres on gathered sounds and images from spaces/situations, where these are less important than the small things that might be occurring within them. The sites/titles of gathering; Early Tests & Experiments, The Cairngorms, Dyffryn, About, Coventry, and Gathering Closer. From these audio-visual works have been constructed and exhibited investigating affect and embodied encounter. This submission, recognising and exploring the porosity/permeability of sounds/spaces/time/bodies, is a drawing together of materials gathered across the research and considering new knowledge/approaches in an exhibition and Research Catalogue expositions as sites for the thesis, which sets the practice in its research context.

Acknowledgements and thanks:

I write this in acknowledgement of everyone who has sustained me throughout my PhD journey, provided opportunities along the way, and supported the completion of this thesis and exhibition. I am sorry I cannot mention you all here.

I want to firstly extend my deep gratitude to Dr Lisa Metherell, my Director of Studies, who stayed with ‘the trouble’ and guided me to a successful completion, and Dr Simon Hall for the generous encouragement, sharing of knowledge and helping me believe this might be possible. And then to my examiners, Dr Becky Shaw and Dr Peter Batchelor and the committee chair, for such an interesting day and insightful comments which will give me much to consider as I travel forward. I also wish to recognise that this endeavour would never have begun without my initial team, Dr Jo Longhurst, to whom I am eternally grateful for telling me I had an interesting voice and things to say, and David Cheeseman for his belief in my work and encouragement.

I am grateful to Birmingham City University for providing the resources and time needed for this research, and particularly Gabe Stewart for his part in that. Additionally, my thanks to Dr Sian Vaughan for her guidance and encouragement, and to Zakia Shaikh, Karin Qureshi and Caroline Wall - your support was invaluable.

I am indebted to others who have travelled this route previously and made it more navigable, particularly Dr Greg Dunn. I thank the colleagues who have collaborated with and sustained me, particularly the discussions and shows built with Mona Casey, Yvonne Hindle and Jennifer Wright; and to my fellow travellers Sophie Hedderwick, Simon Fleury, Jo Fursman and Kirsten Adkins.

Most importantly I must mention my family, Jon Rebello, Frances Rutter, Robert Riding, Liyuan Liang, Joe Castle and Kate Katafiasz - thank you all for your love, support and belief that I could do this. And finally, to thank Janice Wright, Sonya Russell-Saunders, Grace Williams and Reid Smith - for being there and supporting me at such key moments.

‘We become - with each other or not at all.’

(Haraway, 2016 p4)

hear/here, gathering the commonplace:

towards a new understanding of affect and embodied encounter through constructing non-narrative sound installation

ana gabrielle rutter

A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Birmingham City University
for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

The Faculty of Art Design and Media

February 2025

Notes for the reading/experiencing on the Research Catalogue platform:

This thesis was drawn together with the intention that it would be experienced through the Research Catalogue platform. The text version is made available to aid accessibility.

The Title, Abstract and Contents page has my voice(audio) and a text of the title and abstract and has links to all the thesis chapters on the right-hand side (‘blue’ hyperlinks which are underlined on hover)

The introduction page has a voice and text ‘intro’, as do The Field and Methodology pages which additionally have voice and text ‘conclusions’. Subsequent practice chapters have ‘intro’ and ‘conclusion’ as voice with the text as a ‘pop up’ (‘hover’ over player). The ‘intro’ will play once automatically as you enter the chapter (in some browsers you may need to ‘allow’ the audio and video to automatically play); the ‘conclusion’ audios are set playing by the reader, the players for these are in the ‘links’ panel. (The Conclusion chapter has no voice audio)

All chapters contain multiple elements. The audio, video and image elements are visible on the page, in places there are links to these from the texts when specific elements referred to. Information for these elements will appear when you ‘hover’ over them, the controls are available so you can play, stop or change volume.

Each chapter has a ‘links’ panel, this gives a very simple overview of the chapter with hyperlinks to text elements on the page, in some there are links to additional supporting elements, and all have a link back to the ‘contents’ page. Some text elements have scroll bars, these again will appear when you hover over the text area.

Background ‘gathering’ audio will play as you enter the page and run continuously, the controller for this is in the bottom left-hand corner on the page if you wish to change or mute the volume. On some browsers, you can open multiple chapters at the same time and hear elements from across them concurrently.

Abstract:

This is a constantly developing, heuristic following, through tests and experimentation for the unfolding of a unique approach to research and creation of fine art works that explore and explicate my/our non-conscious affective response to our quotidian sonic environment. Drawing on Deleuze and Guattari’s Smooth and Striated symbiotic spaces, to create a scaffolding for working with; affecting slippery stuff, this ‘bodymind’, and to maintain the affecting qualities of the materials.

The praxis centres on gathered sounds and images from spaces/situations, where these are less important than the smallthings that might be occurring within them. The sites/titles of gathering: Early Tests & Experiments, The Cairngorms, Dyffryn, About, Coventry, The Dyffryn Book and Gathering Closer. From these audio-visual works have been constructed and exhibited investigating affect and embodied encounter.

This submission, recognising and exploring the porosity/permeability of sounds/spaces/time/bodies/affects, is a drawing together of materials gathered across the research and considering new knowledge/approaches in an exhibition and Research Catalogue expositions as sites for the thesis, which sets the practice in its research context.

Link to:

Chapter Ten

Gathering Closer: drawing things together in conclusion.

Links to:

Chapter One

Introduction:

Chapter Two

Field Survey:

Chapter Three

Methodology:

Links to:

Chapter Four