19th Biennial Conference of the Asian Studies Association - Knowing Asia: Asian Studies in an Asian Century.2012 Day 3 – Session 3

Daniel Portelli

Daoistic Flow of Video and Sound Collaboration As

Cross-Cultural Dialogue

According to ancient sages, the source of creativity is to be found in one’s heritage; to revitalise the legacy of a culture thus requires responding to stimuli coming from both within and outside the culture.1 - Chou Wen-chung

1. Research Context and Methodology

This paper is the third analysis of a trilogy of audio-visual works by Donna Chang (Chinese-Australian

film maker) and (myself) Daniel Portelli (Maltese-Australian composer). The creative material in

these works [water. wave. form. (2010), Antibiosis (2011) and The Ghost Cave (2012)], can be

observed as a cultural exchange by drawing on the philosophies of the artists’ cultural heritage—

East Asian and European. Analysis of the third work, The Ghost Cave (2012), will be conducted

through Michel Chion‘s audio-visual concepts that will uncover multi-temporal structures within

video and sound that will prove to represent multi-polaristic constructions of Daoistic flow. These

ideas allow themselves to extend beyond the creative material into broader concepts, such as: the

natural world (temporalities of water), dual entities (cultural yin-yang) and concepts of time (singular

moments over eternity). The three works show a progression towards a more integrated and

multifaceted relationship that builds upon each preceding work. Water2 has been the focus and is

used as a symbol of flow to create a concrete language that is neutral across creative platforms.

Underlining this conception of water as flow is a spiritual impetus that is channelled from breath, to

inform movement and temporality within an art-form, similarly to the art of performing Chinese qin

music where by “integrating the rises and falls of the music with breathing, the essence and spirit of

1 Chou Wen-chung, Wenren and Culture, Middletown, Conn.: Wesleyan University Press, 2004 pp. 214. from the book Yayoi Uno Everett & Frederick Lau, Locating East Asia in Western Art Music.

2 As a concept water was also used by contemporary Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu through his concepts

of “Water music”, “Waterscape” and a “Sea of Tonality” cited in : James Siddons, Toru Takemitsu: A Bio-Bibliography, London: Greenwood Press, 2001, p. 15

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Daniel Portelli

the music are obtained.”3 Swiss Psychologist Carl Jung informs the European perspective, whose

engagement with Daoist ideas are expressed in his perception of the unconscious mind (symbolised

as water).4 These philosophies are united to the creative material by integrating Chion’s audio-visual

terms, such as: synch points (with alignments and non-alignment comparisons)5, temporal and non-

temporal vectors (directions in time), scansion (punctuations of time)6 and syncresis7 (two entities

creating an added value).8 Chion’s analysis concepts form a framework that both facilitates and

complements the philosophies mentioned, providing a thread through natural phenomena, the

creative work, and the synergy of Jung and Daoism.

2. Non-aligned Similarities

Daoism’s flow as a way between polarities, its affinity with nature and its emphasis on stasis are

imbedded in Jungian philosophy, in his description of the unconscious as: water where all life floats

in suspension; a floating world that embraces opposition. 9 This cross-cultural synergy inspires the

creative work and is part of a broader analysis. Figure 1 shows the East Asian and European

relationships to the creative work. It shows The Ghost Cave examined through Chion’s audio-visual

concepts and placed against East Asian ideas found in Daoism and Jung to offer two cultural

perspectives with a blending cross-culture dialogue.

3 Edward Ho, “Aesthetic Considerations in Understanding Chinese Literati Musical Behaviour” British Journal of Ethnomusicology, Vol. 6 (1997), pp. 41.4 C. G Jung, Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious, Princeton University Press, Vol. 9. Part 1. 1969, p. 18 “Water is the commonest symbol for the unconscious. The lake in the valley is the unconscious, which lies, as it were, underneath consciousness… Water is the “valley spirit,” the water dragon of Tao, whose nature resembles water- a yang embraced in the yin. Psychologically, therefore, water means spirit that has become unconscious.”5 Michel Chion, ‘Film, A Sound Art’. Columbia University Press: New York, 2009, pp. 2686 Ibid.7 To refer to the aspect of synthesis not usually captured by the more conventional term syncretism.8 Michel Chion, ‘Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen’. Columbia University Press: New York. 1994, p. 59 C. G. Jung, Structure & Dynamics of the Psyche; Collected Works of C.G. Jung, Volume 8: Edited and translated by Gerhard Adler and R.F.C. Hull; Princeton University Press; 2 edition (January 1, 1970), pp. 21-22.

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19th Biennial Conference of the Asian Studies Association - Knowing Asia: Asian Studies in an Asian Century.2012 Day 3 – Session 3

Daniel Portelli

Figure 1: Interrelated East-Asian Concepts

Traditional East Asian emphasis on stasis is represented in Chion’s non temporal vector, and the

traditional European emphasis on time moving forward in Chion’s temporal vector. Non-aligned

connections of the video and music lie in its temporal and thematic structures found in ‘abstract’10

ideas of water, for example: flowing, dripping and pouring—each having a temporal structure of

stasis, chaotic fluctuations and temporal vectorisations. The music harmony moves between these

states in the form of: functionality (temporal vector) and a chromatic ‘stasis’ (non-temporal vector)

by creating a ‘floating’ harmonic structure that moves between tonal and non-tonal harmonies:

Example 1: Harmonic analysis of Finding Kensho (2012) bars 1-11: ‘Floating tonality’

10 The use of the word ‘abstract’ refers its use by Pierre Schaeffer in his book “A Guide To Sound Objects”. The term ‘abstract’ is defined by Schaeffer as: “every notion of quality or relationship considered in a more or less general manner without reference to any of its representations.” In contrast, the term ‘concrete’ “is the complete representation as it is or could be.”: Michel Chion, Guide To Sound Objects: Pierre Schaeffer and Musical Research, 1983, 2009 pp. 37

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Synergy Synergy Synergy Synergy Synergy Synergy Synergy Synergy

19th Biennial Conference of the Asian Studies Association - Knowing Asia: Asian Studies in an Asian Century.2012 Day 3 – Session 3

Daniel Portelli

directional - temporal vector stasis - no temporal vector

Although chords outlined in bars 1-6 in Example 1 are obscured by 7ths, 6ths, diminished 5ths and

augmented 5ths, the chords remain tonal as part of a functional progression. It also creates unsolved

tensions that propel the harmony forward. Since this gives an implied direction of time it is seen to

have a temporal vector. On the other hand, bars 7-11 employ a chromatic clustering, creating a

static tonality that implies no temporal vectors11—as harmony is perceived as endless.

Chion’s time relationships can also be found in the musical gestures throughout the score, which

correlate to video gestures that do not necessary occur at the same time but contribute to its overall

sense of flow. In Example 2 there are three distinct musical gestures that can symbolise states of

Daoist-Jungian water flow. The brass section is holding single notes with subtle shifts. Its static

nature resemble a constant presences of a flowing stream, the clarinet is playing short phrases that

contribute to a larger melody over time (melodies are like water being poured as they both imply a

start and end point with predictable sense of time moving forward) and the flute is repeating an A b

in unpredictable patterns like the dripping of water during a rain storm. These gestures have

separate temporalities can work together as if in counterpoint to each other but remain unified by

this language of water. This triadic harmony of time adds unexpected variety to between each of

them—that complements.

11 Musical notes on an instrument by their nature will have a temporal vector (when they start and stop) but it’s the level of tonal predictability and sustaining of harmonies themselves that create an implied sense of non-temporal vectors.

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19th Biennial Conference of the Asian Studies Association - Knowing Asia: Asian Studies in an Asian Century.2012 Day 3 – Session 3

Daniel Portelli

Example 2. Music Gestural Analysis of Finding Kensho (2012) bars 5-7: “Triadic Harmonies of Time”

In the previous: work water. wave. form. (2010) concrete footage of water was used to present

abstract concepts previously mentioned in Example 2. In this work Chang has chosen to use images

of light that still maintain these abstract concepts of water in its foundation. When deconstructed,

Chang’s abstract imagery of artificial light can relate directly to waters behaviours: a constant

flickering is pouring of water that has a temporal vector, shining is the stasis of a flowing stream and

glistening is unpredictable patterns in rain. Through this idea a type of yin and yang emerges across

the two mediums that settle into a balance of the organic and the inorganic with a strong affinity

with nature. The importance of nature in a creative work is expressed by Chou Wen-chung’s

description of a Chinese artist when he explains that skilfulness in art is not true artistry,

achievement in understanding nature is what makes a superior artist.12 These shared concepts are

considered to be non-alignment similarities across the two art-forms.

Chion’s relationships of time, shown in previous examples of musical gestures, are seen throughout

the video during moments that are directional: that have an inner “narrative” or “story” that

progresses in the footage (like a pulsing rhythm of light or long fade in and fade outs, or chaotic

intensities that progress to a calm. The other type of footage is non-directional, varying in an

12 Chou, Wen Chung, The Aesthetic Principles of Chinese Music: A Personal Quest, Canzona 7.24. 1986: pp. 77-78

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19th Biennial Conference of the Asian Studies Association - Knowing Asia: Asian Studies in an Asian Century.2012 Day 3 – Session 3

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unpredictable way or as a static shot or repetitive action.13 The video contains abstract water

behaviours. Flicking of the light has a temporality of water dripping (as they both have no

predictable sense of time) Shine or no shine of light is static idea and contributes to the underlying

temporal mechanics of the video. The multi-screen work creates flow by either punctuating a

temporal moment (called scansion of time) or moving against a temporality or employing both

aspects in many different ways. This can occur between the images, through movement and

positioning of the screens and through its relationship to sound. Similar to the multi-image theatre

works of the American video artist Beryl Korot in The Cave (1995) and The Three Tales (2003) in

collaboration with the American minimalist composer Steve Reich.14

3. Concepts of Time:

European Aligned Sync Points and East Asian Singular Moments

Sync points can be found in the video alone as well as between the video and sound. An aligned sync

can occur at exactly the same time or shortly before or after, as long as it maintains what Chion

would call a psychological temporal continuum.15 The video has four screens that can create its own

aligned synch points. In Example 3 there is an alignment of four light bulbs illuminating. By setting up

this unity it builds an expectation that this may occur again. An alignment in the music is heard

globally during a dramatic moment in bars 79-83 where all instruments create chaos then sudden

stillness. This single moment is akin to the Chinese idea of stasis that emphasis sudden gestures to

create resonance.

Example 3. Still shot from The Ghost Cave (2012): “Multi-screen alignment of images with non-aligned temporalities”

13 Michel Chion, ‘Film, A Sound Art’. Columbia University Press: New York, 2009, pp. 266-26714 Steve Reich & Beryl Korot, The Cave, Warner Music Japan Inc. 1995. Steve Reich & Beryl Korot, Three Tales, Boosey & Hawkes, 200315 Michel Chion, ‘Film, A Sound Art’. Columbia University Press: New York, 2009, p. 270

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19th Biennial Conference of the Asian Studies Association - Knowing Asia: Asian Studies in an Asian Century.2012 Day 3 – Session 3

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The emphasis on the single-tone has a distinctive difference to aspects of Western art music: “the

concentration on the values of a single tone [eastern] is the anti-thesis of traditional Western

polyphonic.”16 The music and video in The Ghost Cave, at times may seem unaligned but then are

suddenly joined by a sharp gesture (For example, during a loud timpani hit at 1’22”, the alluring

imagery suddenly cuts to black). Unification is also created through the use of a reoccurring thematic

progression (traditional European directional harmony) that starts at bars 1-7 then loosely returns at

bars 58-63. These two events are occurring throughout the two art forms: a gradual process of

development against single instances of change.17 

The close blurring boundaries between video and sound can be expressed in the Daoist notion of

‘moving between things’. One of the basic principles of Chinese music is that there is a close affinity

between poetry, painting and music.18 As the Daoist philosopher Zhuang Zi explains: “that which

moves among things is Dao,” and Confucius states the importance of: “aiming at Dao, moving among

the arts.”19 East Asian ideas of stasis are found in Toru Takemitsu’s musical concept of the underlying

infinite temporal background and in the Chinese idea of the ‘single tone’, where each tone is a

16 Chou, Wen-chung, “Asian Concepts and Twentieth-Century Western Composers”, Musical Quarterly 1971: pp. 216.17 This idea is also discussed by Chou Wen Chung, Program Notes: String Quartet No. 2 “Clouds” (2003) http://www.chouwenchung.org/works/2003_quartet2.php18 Chou, Wen-chung, The Aesthetic Principles of Chinese Music: A Personal Quest, Canzona 7.24. 1986: p. 7619 Chou, Wen-chung, Wenren and Culture, Middletown, Conn.: Wesleyan University Press, 2004 pp. 213. from the book Yayoi Uno Everett & Frederick Lau, Locating East Asia in Western Art Music.

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musical entity in and of itself: the direct antithesis of the progress in western polyphony. 20 This is

embedded in the idea of the single brush stroke method in Chinese calligraphy: “once you start it

has to be perfect. If it is not, you throw it away and try again.” 21 Multiple polarities arise when these

ideas are placed with Chion’s European model of temporal vectors. Stasis appears similar to Chion’s

idea of time as a non-directional vectors but does not completely capture idea of the Eastern single

tone as entity ‘moments’. This branches out into a complex array of polarities that are evident

throughout the video and music.

These ideas can also be represented solely in the music alone. Example 4 shows four different

properties of time and their positions within a dense part of the music—in bars 77-78. Directional

and non-directional fragments clashes and overlap with Eastern singular moments that punctuate an

unpredictable landscape of time. It also shows a resonating triad of: Stasis (ambiguity, non-

directional), directional and singular moments, all happening in multiple ways, in different

elaborations, simultaneously.

20 Feliciano, Francisco F. “Four Asian Contemporary Composers: The Influence of Tradition in their Work.” Quezon City, Philippines: New Bay, 1983, p. 921 Chou, Wen-chung, The Aesthetic Principles of Chinese Music: A Personal Quest, Canzona 7.24. 1986: pp. 77-78

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Example 4. Music Gestural Analysis of Finding Kensho (2012) bars 77-78: “Multi-Polarities of Flow”

9Singular Momentsin time = =

Non-directional: =Chaotic variations of time

- =

Directional: = Time moving forward =

Stasis‘Eternity’ =

Multi-Polarities of time

19th Biennial Conference of the Asian Studies Association - Knowing Asia: Asian Studies in an Asian Century.2012 Day 3 – Session 3

Daniel Portelli

4. Temporal Vectorisation, Non-Vectorisation and Stasis

Temporal vectorisation is a forward direction in time that takes the audience on a journey from the

present to the future. It is time: flowing, developing and could also be a definable melody moving

towards a goal (for example, to a resolution or to dissonance). They can occur in rhythmic blocks and

have a distinguished beginning and end. Scansion of time is a punctuation of these time vectors. It is

can be observed in an audio-visual work as an underlying pulse that can shift and highlight its

rhythmic structures. It can also depsychologicalise a moment in an audio-visual work to ‘mark’ time

in the present moment through sudden temporal shifts.22 Some sound and video sequences are

considered to have no temporal vectors if they perceive to have no beginning or end. 23 There are no

temporal vectors if the image and sound is: static, still, stagnating, not varying over time or varying

but in an unpredictable or chaotic way (for example, the sawing of cicadas). This is seen to be

outside a perceivable measure of time.24

Broader cultural conclusions of these types of temporalities can be drawn by their suggestions of the

‘infinite’—with its cultural correlations. While non-temporal vectors do have a temporality and only

exist temporarily in the video and music, it still implies the concept of eternity by having no

perceivable beginning or end points. Eternity is also highlighted when its non-directional

characteristics are placed against temporalities with a forward direction. Temporal vectors and their

defined rhythmic structures can be seen as a mark of time over eternality. Scansions of time

reinforces this idea as it punctuates moments in time across the infinite continuum. These ideas can

be linked to Oliver Messiaen’s compositional concept of the ‘infinite temporal background’25 and

Toru Takemitsu’s ‘undifferentiated temporal background’ said by Timothy Koozin to be prominent in

22 Michel Chion, ‘Film, A Sound Art’. Columbia University Press: New York, 2009, pp. 266-27123 Ibid. 24 ibid., pp. 266-26725 Timothy Koozin, “Spiritual-temporal Imagery in Music of Olivier Messiaen and Toru Takemitsu”, Contemporary Music Review, Vol 7, 1993; pp. 186.

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traditional Japanese culture.26 Takemitsu’s creates unresolved fundamental harmonies that suggest

a continuation, and places them over the ‘infinite background’. Rhythmic moments and sudden

punctuations of time can be seen as an accentuated ‘blip’ over eternity. East Asian stasis is a

reflective act and can be punctuated by an abrupt moment that produces a resonance. This can be

placed alongside a European linear development that moves towards a dramatic moment or as non-

directional change. These two cultural entities (like yin and yang) become neutralised through a

perceivable negotiation of temporal structures—synthesised as flow.

5. Conclusion

Daoistic dualism found in nature (like water flowing in a stream and the dripping of rain) create a

sense of eternity through their unpredictable, stagnating qualities and presence of a resonating

singular tone. Video and sound ideas are in dialogue with East Asian and European cultures through

the creative language of water as a symbol for Daoist flow as ‘that which moves among things’,

placed in a creative setting to play a balancing role of temporal forces. These temporal forces are

rooted in the cultural traditions of East Asia and Europe and reflect a multifaceted expansion from

these traditions through the four concepts of time: directional, non-directional, stasis and moments.

They show the multi-polarities through not only the single relationship between each of them but in

their multi-dimensional layering of all four at the same time—between the images, in the music and

between the video and music.

26 Timothy Koozin, “Spiritual-temporal Imagery in Music of Olivier Messiaen and Toru Takemitsu”, Contemporary Music Review, Vol. 7, 1993, pp .186.

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References:

Chion, Michel. (1994) ‘Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen’. Columbia University Press: New York.

Chion, Michel. (2009) ‘Film, A Sound Art’. Columbia University Press: New York.

Chion, Michel. (2009) Guide To Sound Objects: Pierre Schaeffer and Musical Research, 1983.

Feliciano, Francisco F. (1983) “Four Asian Contemporary Composers: The Influence of Tradition in their Work.”

Quezon City, Philippines: New Bay.

Ho, Edward. “Aesthetic Considerations in Understanding Chinese Literati Musical Behaviour” British

Journal of Ethnomusicology, Vol. 6 (1997), pp. 35-49.

Jung, C. G. (1969) Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious, Princeton University Press., Vol. 9. Part

1.

Jung, C. G. (1970) Structure & Dynamics of the Psyche; Collected Works of C.G. Jung, Volume 8:

Edited and translated by Gerhard Adler and R.F.C. Hull; Princeton University Press; 2

edition (January 1).

Koozin, Timothy. (1993) “Spiritual-temporal Imagery in Music of Olivier Messiaen and Toru

Takemitsu”, Contemporary Music Review, Vol. 7.

Siddons, James. (2001) Toru Takemitsu: A Bio-Bibliography. London: Greenwood Press.

Chou, Wen-chung. (2004) “Wenren and Culture”, Chapter 12 In Locating East-Asia in Western Art

Music, Yayoi Uno Everett & Frederick Lau, Middletown, Conn.: Wesleyan University Press,

pp. 208-220.

Chou, Wen-chung. (1986), The Aesthetic Principles of Chinese Music: A Personal Quest, Canzona

7.24.

Chou, Wen-chung, (1971) “Asian Concepts and Twentieth-Century Western Composers”, Musical

Quarterly.

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