"Sound Prints": interpretations of sound within Costa Rica's natural landscape by Paris-based artist Rachel Marks

Sound Prints is about linking the experience of daily rhythm and sound with the physical environment. The painting installations visually describe the sound present at a particular moment. The painting is done directly onto the natural landscape, expressing an interpretation of the present sound printed on the land.

As the sound changes in the environment so does its visual representation. The installation suggests that a present moment is part of a continuous evolution. The installation is modified with time by the weather and the elements that either wash away, extend, or transform the colors and forms.

The photographs serve as documentation of the painting installations. They capture the visual interpretations of the sounds present at one moment in time and space. Sometimes the painting waswashed away or modified only moments later; other times the sound imprint stayed intact for days.

The painting installations were done during a one month voyage through Costa Rica in September 2014. The specific environments and times were chosen because they were the landscapes and sounds that played a role in the journey, like the landmarks of an experience.

The Sound Prints series has been a personal exploration of how one can experience each present moment differently, and how the sound and image of an environment can be perceived uniquely in that moment.

Rachel Marks is a young artist living and working in Paris, France. She earned a BFA from Oklahoma State University and a Master’s degree at the Higher School of Art and Design in Grenoble, France. Rachel has exhibited her work internationally in the United States, Italy, England and France. Check out more of Rachel Marks' work on her website.

View Rachel Marks' EAS profile here and a previous project on sound by Rachel Marks titled, "Color Language."