Listening & Drawing: Methodologies towards Emplacement Cindy Yuen-Zhe Chen A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Art, Design and Media The University of New South Wales Art and Design 2020 Thesis/Dissertation Sheet Surname/Family Name :Chen Given Name/s : Yuen Zhe Abbreviation for degree as give in the University calendar : PhD Art, Design and Media Faculty : Art and Design School : Art and Design Thesis Title : Listening and Drawing: Methodologies Towards Emplacement Abstract 350 words maximum: (PLEASE TYPE) This practice based PhD develops processes of embodied listening and experimental drawing as multi-sensory, emplaced methodologies to articulate new approaches to the contemporary practice of drawing. Through creative interactions with the historically significant and visually iconic sites of Golden Gully in Hill End, New South Wales, Australia; and the village of Langshi in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, this project examines how drawing and listening can generate an awareness of perceptual, cultural and social emplacement. My practice initiates a dialogue with visual paradigms evident in painted and poetic responses to these places from the Australian 20th century landscape and Chinese 12th to 13th century shanshui traditions. From these departure points, the practice responds to the material reality of Golden Gully and Langshi in the present. My engagement with these places is inflected by my context as a migrant, female artist of Chinese heritage practicing between cultures in Australia and internationally. The contextual specificity of this position in the practical research reinforces an approach to these places as constituted of many possible relations. Through experimental process-based interactions with these places, I develop four embodied listening methodologies of Touch, Space, Durations and Sounding. These methodologies address the specific perceptual conditions generated by my engagements with these places. They facilitate the analysis of drawing with sound feedback and malleable paper ‘mediators,’ which act as conduits shaping my perceptual and physical interactions with these places. The drawing properties of surface, gesture and line, are extended through the intersubjective experiences of listening, and innovated by the spatial and temporal fluidity of sound. Sound feedback compositions, paper mediators and video works from creative interactions with Golden Gully and Langshi, are used to mediate further experimental interactions with the exhibition space. Through drawing and listening as methods of exploring ongoing relationships with places, contemporary drawing is extended as an enactive process that can generate manifold senses of perceptual emplacement. Declaration relating to disposition of project thesis/dissertation I hereby grant to the University of New South Wales or its agents a non-exclusive licence to archive and to make available (including to members of the public) my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known. I acknowledge that I retain all intellectual property rights which subsist in my thesis or dissertation, such as copyright and patent rights, subject to applicable law. I also retain the right to use all or part of my thesis or dissertation in future works (such as articles or books). 21/01/2020 ……………………………………………………… ……….……………………...…….… Signature Date The University recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances requiring restrictions on copying or conditions on use. Requests for restriction for a period of up to 2 years can be made when submitting the final copies of your thesis to the UNSW Library. Requests for a longer period of restriction may be considered in exceptional circumstances and require the approval of the Dean of Graduate Research. ORIGINALITY STATEMENT ‘I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, or substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at UNSW or any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others, with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project's design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged.’ Signed …………………………………………….............. 21/01/2020 Date …………………………………………….............. INCLUSION OF PUBLICATIONS STATEMENT UNSW is supportive of candidates publishing their research results during their candidature as detailed in the UNSW Thesis Examination Procedure. Publications can be used in their thesis in lieu of a Chapter if: • The candidate contributed greater than 50% of the content in the publication and is the “primary author”, ie. the candidate was responsible primarily for the planning, execution and preparation of the work for publication • The candidate has approval to include the publication in their thesis in lieu of a Chapter from their supervisor and Postgraduate Coordinator. • The publication is not subject to any obligations or contractual agreements with a third party that would constrain its inclusion in the thesis Please indicate whether this thesis contains published material or not: This thesis contains no publications, either published or submitted for publication ☐☐ (if this box is checked, you may delete all the material on page 2) Some of the work described in this thesis has been published and it has ☐☐ been documented in the relevant Chapters with acknowledgement (if this box is checked, you may delete all the material on page 2) This thesis has publications (either published or submitted for publication) ☐☐ incorporated into it in lieu of a chapter and the details are presented below CANDIDATE’S DECLARATION I declare that: • I have complied with the UNSW Thesis Examination Procedure • where I have used a publication in lieu of a Chapter, the listed publication(s) below meet(s) the requirements to be included in the thesis. Candidate’s Name Signature Date (dd/mm/yy) Yuen Zhe Chen 21/01/2020 POSTGRADUATE COORDINATOR’S DECLARATION To only be filled in where publications are used in lieu of Chapters I declare that: • the information below is accurate • where listed publication(s) have been used in lieu of Chapter(s), their use complies with COPYRIGHT STATEMENT ‘I hereby grant the University of New South Wales or its agents a non-exclusive licence to archive and to make available (including to members of the public) my thesis or dissertation in whole or part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known. I acknowledge that I retain all intellectual property rights which subsist in my thesis or dissertation, such as copyright and patent rights, subject to applicable law. I also retain the right to use all or part of my thesis or dissertation in future works (such as articles or books).’ ‘For any substantial portions of copyright material used in this thesis, written permission for use has been obtained, or the copyright material is removed from the final public version of the thesis.’ Signed ……………………………………………........................... Date ………16/04/2020…………………………………….............................. AUTHENTICITY STATEMENT ‘I certify that the Library deposit digital copy is a direct equivalent of the final officially approved version of my thesis.’ Signed ……………………………………………........................... Date …………16/04/2020………………………………….............................. Acknowledgements ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This project was undertaken upon the land and waters of the Cammeraygal, Darramuragal, and Wiradyuri people. Works from this project hold the sounds, waters, soil and plant matter from their Countries. I pay my respects to their Elders past, present and emerging who have cared and continue to care for Country. I would especially like to acknowledge Uncle Brian, Aunty Leanna, Uncle Bill and Yanhadarrambal from Gunhigal Mayiny Wiradyuri Dyilang Enterprises and Bathurst Wiradyuri and Aboriginal Community Elders, who generously gave me their time, energy and counsel. I also gratefully acknowledge the people of $:E - Langshi village, in particular Su Haibo, Su Ayi, Xiao Mo, Mao Shifu, Yang Ayi, Su Shushu, who welcomed me into their home, introduced me to their goats, fed me copious amounts of fruit and vegetables from their farms, and allowed me to make strange sounds with the rocks, water and bamboo of their land. I greatly appreciate the depth of thought and energy that was invested into this project by my research supervisors Bianca Hester and Uros Cvoro. Their guidance greatly aided the unfolding of this journey and it has been a privilege to receive their mentorship in these four years. I would also like to thank my Masters research supervisor Andrew Christofides for his guidance with my earlier research. I am extremely fortunate to have the love and support of Taiyo Totsuka, not just in this project, but for all aspects of our lives together. Our parents Kim Yoon Tan, Kong Ming Chen, Mitsuko Totsuka and Tetsuya Totsuka, and our siblings Sean Chen, Holly Tan, Takeaki Totsuka, Yura Totsuka and Yuki Totsuka have all been invariably supportive and understanding. I especially