With a growing interest in motion graphics, the outcome for this research-based project is a film, an animation and series of paintings. My natural curiosity about people has led me down the path of collaborating with creatives from different disciplines.

 

My initial inspiration derived from the desire to work with musician friend Toby Nikoosimaitak (Simiah). Toby has synaesthesia which is a phenomenon in which senses are simultaneously perceived as if another and are interchangeable. Colours can be experienced as sounds, tastes as feelings and vice versa.

 

I then started to ask myself these questions; why do certain songs and artworks produce a strong emotional response? How do we visualise music? Are our levels of creativity increased by collaborating? What are the similarities in the process of creating music and imagery?

 

Responding to one of Simiah’s musical pieces, paintings and drawings were created blind-folded to facilitate a primal response, translating auditory rhythm and pattern into visuals.

 

There is a growing trend acknowledging the benefits of collaborative working both within education and business. Some of these benefits include increased productivity, building a sense of community, increased motivation and stimulating creativity as highlighted by Carr and Walton’s study (2014). This project has tested these ideas through a variety of methodologies.

 

To extend the collaboration, focus groups were ran to collect data based on the chosen music piece. Participants were asked to respond to the music and choose colours and emotions along with creating a drawing. This data has been a driving force for the project’s visual identity.