Reading Response 1 (DA1)

The relationship between human and nature is deep and complex. So complex, In fact, that we still do not understand fully how to best communicate or interact with the natural world. Nature, Sound, and the Sacred by David Dunn describes a series of artworks designed to tackle communication between humans and nature. These artworks go about exploring this connection through sound. The woks are all music created through sounds found in nature. In my opinion, humans easily connect to nature. This is why nature sounds can be so calming to us. We come from nature and therefore can easily connect with that part of our psyche. Nature is the ultimate music to our ears. The scores produced in the natural world rival the greatest symphonies man has ever written. One artwork I especially related to was called “Chaos and the Emergent Mind of the Pond,” a soundscape arranged completely from underwear recordings of ponds. This work was meant to demonstrate the complexity and intelligence of even natures smallest creatures. I found this work fascinating because I have always had an interest in entomology. I enjoyed how the article touched on animal intelligence, discussing how we may not be able to fundamentally understand the way in which animals communicate. The animal world is extremely complex and intricate, yet we often assume humans are at the peak of intelligence. If animals could speak, we may not be able to understand the ways in which they communicate, because it may be individual to that species.