Difference between revisions of "Synesthesia"

Revision as of 00:02, 18 June 2011

Synesthesia is the property of one sensory input causing a reaction in another sensory input. Classic cases of synesthesia are people who smell colors, see smells, hear colors, feel images, etc. Many people throughout history have reported experiencing this phenomenon, including a good deal of artists and musicians.

The term is especially relavent to advances in digital technologies. Most things in "reality" engage us on multiple sensory levels: the experience of an orange includes the brilliant color, the feel of the soft skin, the smell of the sharp citrus, and the taste of the tangy sweetness. Indeed, the very fact that a smell can be "sharp" shows how pervasive the mixing of sensory metaphors can be. In the digital world, sight often reigns supreme, with the ocasional auditory supplement. Yet digital art often combines different senses to create art that engages us on many levels. An interactive installation piece can produce sound, stunning visuals, tactile feedback, and even smells and taste. A common example of the possibilities of computers in producing synesthesic art is the visualizer that comes standard with iTunes. The program takes the music and visually represents the music in real-time. Add a powerful subwoofer and one can literally feel the bass on one's skin, adding another sensory dimension. If the art of the past tended toward uni-sensual experience (a painting, a song, etc.), the art of the future seems to be moving in the direction of immersive multi-sensual experience.