Sharleene Olivier, Telephone: sounds like the sea, fabric, thread, paint, ink, bottle with note, wool, 1 m x 1 m

South African, b. 1974, playing from Johannesburg, South Africa

I enjoy working in oils,fabric, stop frame animation and multimedia works. I have a new baby so am taking a year off from studying but plan to do Honours next year. My goal this year is to continue breaking ground and exhibit at Johannesburg galleries.

Thoughts on the Telephone process

I had to translate a lengthy sound clip into an artwork. I have never done this before and it was initially intimidating. It was also difficult to try “get it right” or pass a message I read in the sound clip as a viable message in my artwork, rather than just convey a mood. However, after doing this as an exercise I have found myself listening to other music and visualizing it as a potential artwork, which is inspiring. I asked a few friends to listen to the sound clip I was to interpret and give their interpretations and was interested to hear how very differently we interpreted the clip – from aliens, to a forest, to a dream, a train, electricity, water and the ocean. It was also interesting to see the overlaps where we had similar ideas. I stayed with my original interpretation to the sound clip as this rang true for me. I enjoyed being part of this art initiative.