A Fascination with Noise

I began my M.F.A. thesis project with an interest in the intersection between fine arts and design and exploring the creative potential of hidden and overlooked things. Sound, in particular that from a contact mic, became the unexpected and surprising medium to explore these themes. The contact mic - a low fidelity, simple-to-assemble microphone that picks up vibrations in otherwise silent objects reveals startling and often beautiful sounds in a framework that is less music and more like painting and sculpting with sound. In my thesis I explored the design challenge of analog sound circuits, contact mic'd instruments, and the DIY maker culture surrounding the contact mic. During this project, I learned to build contact mics, analog circuits, and noise devices while exploring and extending the form of this technology and its products. By focusing on DIY makers, I investigated the implications of how contact mics not only challenge modern disposable technology but also create new ways of listening and interacting with everyday objects. My thesis, A Fascination with Noise: Contact Mics, Everyday Objects, and Product Design, documents and explores the culture and implications of this technology.