Artistic Voice Research Articles

The Morisot Sisters: The Pioneer Female Impressionist Painters

This paper explores the profound contributions of Edma Morisot, Berthe Morisot, and Marie Bracquemond—three pioneering female Impressionist painters whose artistic achievements are often overlooked within the male-dominated Impressionist movement of the late 19th century. While Impressionism transformed art by emphasizing light, shadow, and the en plein air technique, it marginalized female artists, relegating their work to the fringes of mainstream recognition. Edma and Berthe Morisot, two sisters trained in classical techniques, defied societal expectations and familial pressures to establish a unique artistic voice, portraying intimate scenes of women’s daily lives. Edma’s career was cut short due to marital constraints, while Berthe’s continued until her death, producing notable works such as The Mother and Sister of the Artist and Summer’s Day, which reflect her skill in color palette and composition. Marie Bracquemond celebrated as one of the “three great ladies of Impressionism,” also defied conventions, presenting works like Afternoon Snack despite her husband’s disapproval. This study illuminates how these women navigated gendered restrictions to contribute to Impressionism, challenging patriarchal norms and enriching the movement’s legacy through their nuanced depictions of women’s experiences and intricate brushwork.

Shigeko Kubota’s Multi-hyphenated Curatorial Activism

Abstract This article examines artist Shigeko Kubota’s vital role as a curator, critic, and organizer of video art during the 1970s and 1980s, arguing her historically neglected labour was instrumental to the formation of a video art community at a time when it lacked widespread institutional support. By tracing Kubota’s organizational efforts from her role as Fluxus’s “vice-president” and her curatorial work on Tokyo-New York Video Express, to her participation in important video conferences and festivals, such as the Women’s Video Festivals and the Museum of Modern Art’s Open Circuits: An International Conference on the Future of Television, the article reveals the ways in which she frequently utilized her own platform as a critic and curator to amplify the voices of underrepresented artists, particularly women and women of colour. These experiences culminated in Kubota’s role as the first and only video art curator at the Anthology Film Archives (afa) between 1974 and 1983, which deeply influenced her approach to curatorial work as a collaborative and non-hierarchical practice, and finally, reinforced her belief in video as a social medium.

Examining the Artistic Voices of Community College Dance Students Using a Narrative Inquiry Approach

ABSTRACT In this study, we use a narrative inquiry approach to understand how students construct their artistic voices as part of their educational experience in California community college dance classes. Data collection techniques included semi-structured interviews, video recordings of a dance performance, and a reflective one-page journal where participants described the attributes of their artistic voices. Participants included ten community college dance students. We used socio-cultural theories and the Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) framework to analyze individuals’ personal construction and movement vocabulary. We present three findings to inform dance teachers. First, deeper self-understanding was a foundational component of students’ artistic voice. Second, the performance of the artistic voice was guided by students’ construction of personal-interpretative narratives that inspired their bodily choices. Third, the construction of the artistic voice was sustained through three types of power negotiation (compliance, resiliency, and resistance).

IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU: DO WE STILL NEED AN ‘ARTISTIC VOICE’?

AbstractThis article considers the possibility that the emphasis we place on composers developing an artistic voice might be unhelpful for making good pieces. I look at what constitutes an artistic voice and consider pros and cons for having a voice. As an alternative I examine strengths and weaknesses for being a capricious composer, which I define as a willingness to explore different compositional avenues without concern for constructing a consistent body of work. My objective is not to discredit composers who have a strong voice, but rather to loosen the grip of the single-voiced model that dominates the value system of new music.

Betty Shamieh’s The Black Eyed: An Arab-American Woman Playwright Inverts and Subverts Orientalism

Arab-American playwright Betty Shamieh emerged on the contemporary theatre scene in the early 2000s with an artistic voice and cultural perspective that broke new ground on the American stage. Her early plays were personal stories of family that studied the immigrant experience through the eyes of exclusively Arab-American characters. Shamieh’s writing shifted after the events of 9/11 and resulted in her writing “The Black Eyed”, a play that addresses the Middle East conflict through the stories of four Arab women. Shamieh’s play adjusts the lens through which audiences witness the Arab-American experience and confront their Orientalist tendencies. Her cultural investigation rides a razor’s edge of Orientalism; she positions herself as both “us” and “them” within the discourse as she flips the hegemonic power structure. In this essay I use a close reading informed by Edward Said’s theories to examine the ways in which Shamieh inverts and subverts a gendered use of Orientalism in “The Black Eyed’s” themes and characters, using established tropes like the harem, houris, martyrs, violence, and seduction to fuel her project.

Centering artist voices: notes from a survey of artists and cultural workers in Philadelphia, PA, and Richmond, VA

ABSTRACT This essay explores our work collecting artist experiences and attending to the voices of artists themselves in two US cities. Prompted by an earlier phase of focus group research in Philadelphia with artists who voiced their needs as workers, we undertook a survey of working artists in Philadelphia and Richmond, Virginia. This survey research asks about the spatial patterns of artists living, working, and presentation locations and how that geography has changed over time, as well as how artists have weathered the pandemic in two cities. We believe this study makes innovative contributions from a methodological standpoint, given the questions we asked that supported a spatial analysis of where artists live, work, and present their work. It is also an engaged process where we centered long-neglected voices through focus groups and surveys. It is an exploration of how artists engage with space and time.

Algorithmic Ventriloquism: The Contested State of Voice in AI Speech Generators

This article explores the vocal human–machine relations embedded in text-to-speech (TTS) generators. Retracing the human sources behind the synthetic speech and tracking the remediation of the voice by the machine-learning algorithm, it argues that artificial intelligence (AI) speaking agents such as Siri and Alexa, as well as other TTS acts such as TikTok’s, are performing algorithmic ventriloquism. Speaking mechanically with the voices of professional voiceover artists, AI speech technologies algorithmically manipulate these voices, thus generating personas that hold an interconnected chain of tensions between the embodied and the virtual, the particular and the general, the human and the non-human, as well as between speech and writing. Algorithmic ventriloquism serves as an analytical framework to tie the techno-vocalic operation of the TTS system with its cultural, economic, philosophical, and sociolinguistic predicaments. The last section discusses the implications of algorithmic ventriloquism beyond the realm of the voice.

Vocal Self-Perception of Singers During COVID-19 Pandemic.

to compare the self-perception of vocal fatigue and use of singing voice during the COVID-19 pandemic between professional and amateur singers and to relate this self-perception with vocal use characteristics during this period. Participants were 121 singers divided into professional singers group (PSG) (12 men and 20 women) comprising singers who depended exclusively on singing as a profession and an amateur singers group (ASG) (37 men and 52 women) of singers who did not depend exclusively on singing for their livelihood. All answered online questionnaires through Google Forms ®. Sociodemographic and vocal characteristics were investigated before and during the pandemic; symptoms of vocal fatigue were assessed through the vocal fatigue index (VFI); and self-perception of use of singing voice through the evaluation of the ability to sing easily protocol for Brazil (EASE-Br). In the comparison between groups, the PSG presented higher scores of vocal fatigue in fatigue and vocal limitation (P=0.045), vocal restriction (P=0.002), and recovery with vocal rest (P=0.008) domains than did the ASG. There was no difference between the groups regarding the use of singing voice. Based on the relationship between self-perception and vocal use characteristics during the pandemic, it was observed that the presence of vocal complaint was the only factor associated with self-perception of fatigue symptomatology in both groups. Regarding the self-perception of the current status of the singing voice, singing time, the presence of vocal complaints, the need to increase visual concentration, and the perception of vocal worsening during the pandemic were considered predictive for amateur singers. For professional singers, vocal complaints and vocal training were predictors for self-perception of the current status of the singing voice. Professional singers presented with higher scores of vocal fatigue than did amateur singers. The symptomatology of vocal fatigue was associated with the presence of vocal complaints in both groups. However, self-perception of the current status of the singing voice was different between the groups and was associated with vocal training for professional singers and characteristics of vocal demand of singing voice during the pandemic period for amateur singers.

Art Education and Students' Perception of Fine Art Teachers

Art education plays a crucial role in fostering creativity, critical thinking, and cultural appreciation among students. Central to the effectiveness of art education is the role of fine art teachers who serve as mentors, guides, and facilitators in the learning process. This abstract explores the perceptions of art education and students' perceptions of their fine art teachers, shedding light on the impact of teacher-student dynamics on the overall educational experience. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining surveys and interviews to gather data from a diverse sample of students enrolled in various art education in fine art programs [i](Smith et al., 2022; Brown & Jones, 2021) suggest that positive teacher-student relationships in art education contribute to increased student engagement, motivation, and a deeper understanding of artistic concepts. Furthermore, the research delves into the role of fine art teachers in nurturing students' individual artistic voices and fostering a sense of community within the classroom. Insights from interviews reveal students' perspectives on the qualities that make an art teacher effective, such as approachability, passion for the subject, and the ability to provide constructive feedback. This abstract concludes by highlighting the implications of the findings for both educators and policymakers in shaping art education curricula and professional development programs. By understanding the dynamics between art education and students' perceptions of fine art teachers, stakeholders can work towards creating a more enriching and supportive learning environment for aspiring artists.

Decoloniality and Russian Music: Finno-Ugric Legacies in Contemporary St. Petersburg

This article presents two case studies examining the musical groups Talomerkit and Ingervala in the context of the late Soviet and post-Soviet reawakening of Finno-Ugric culture in St. Petersburg, Russia. Coming from different ethnic backgrounds, these two groups demonstrate different ways of engaging with local Finno-Ugric traditions. While Talomerkit uses a so-called tradition-based approach with minimal alteration of primary material, Ingervala looks for alternative stylistic choices through electric instruments and electronic sounds. Based on my fieldwork done in June 2018 and May 2019, I present ethnographic observations about Talomerkit and Ingervala’s musical activities and focus on issues related to the repatriation of Finno-Ugric musical heritage to a local community in St. Petersburg after the interruption of these traditional musical practices during the Soviet period. By using ethnomusicological approaches of decolonization, my aim is to foreground the voices of artists and activists who engage with the legacy of a small, non-Slavic Finno-Ugric population indigenous to the lands of present-day St. Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast. I argue that those autochthonous perspectives are instrumental in challenging the cultural discourse in Anglophone Russian music studies, which predominantly focuses on musical knowledge production through the lens of the Slavic population.

The life and educational philosophy of Dr Christine Ballengee-Morris: A pioneer in art education

Dr Christine Ballengee-Morris is a renowned art educator, author and researcher whose contributions have significantly impacted the field of art education. Dr Ballengee-Morris has dedicated her life to empowering her students to explore and express their artistic voices. This article explores Dr Ballengee-Morris’s life, educational philosophy and legacy as a pioneering figure in the world of art education. Through a phone interview, on 27 January 2023, we discussed her childhood, career trajectory and inspirations in art education. We also examine her views on progressivism and the role of experience and activity in education.

Reconsidering the Inclusive Research Approach: Proxy Intervention Interview as an Opportunity for the Participation of People With Cognitive Disability and Communication Challenges

Qualitative researchers who need to interview people with cognitive disability, including intellectual, developmental, mental disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), can experience limitations in implementing an inclusive research approach using conventional methods like verbal communication. In this paper ‘proxy intervention interview’ is shown to be an inclusive research approach for incorporating the voices of artists who cannot articulate their thoughts or describe their own experiences concerning their career development. The author introduces a step-by-step process for implementing this method, including such aspects as research design, recruitment, and informed consent. Five key ethical considerations are suggested for designing an appropriate inclusive research approach to encourage the participation of people with cognitive disability, regardless of their level of capacity.

Crossroads of Eastern Europe and the Arctic North – Artistic Personas and Creative Processes of Border-Crossing Artists

This essay explores the development of an artistic persona and choices within the creative processes of border-crossing artists. Similar to the act of border crossing, the transcorporeal experience contains attempts to enter the unity of the body of the artist and the artwork with the socio-politics of the new site for artistic expression. In the action of border-crossing, artistic practice enters the holistic approach as the human, functioning in the new and unfamiliar society, and as the artist, thus continually shaping the individual’s artistic persona and artistic voice. The focus group data from the early-career border-crossing artists originating from Belarus and living in Lithuania are used alongside my autoethnographic data as a Lithuanian artist living in the Arctic North and the visual data from a middle-career artist from Lithuania living and working in the Nordic and Arctic North regions. This data was used for the reflexive analysis. The results outline the possible impact of border-crossing on artistic practice.

Life-Affirmative Struggles for Home Across Borders

Issue 5.1 of the Radical Housing Journal (RHJ) examines the current state of struggles for housing and home amidst capital-accumulation-induced urban restructuring worldwide. The authors discuss the enduring impact of settler colonialism on land and housing rights, particularly for Indigenous peoples. Feminist, queer, and trans perspectives are brought to the forefront, emphasizing the leadership roles played by marginalized communities in housing justice struggles. The issue showcases the important contributions of Black women, women of color, and queer activists in fighting for housing justice and challenging oppressive power structures. Additionally, this issue presents alternatives to the current dangerous status quo, urging us to envision radical futures where humanity respects ecological limits, ensures universal access to resources, and grants autonomy in their utilization. It envisions a world where housing is available to all, allowing individuals to choose their desired living arrangements. The 'Pursuing Tenant International: Learning from the Struggles in Abya Yala' conversation series further amplifies the voices of tenants, organizers, activists, artists, and thinkers engaged in cross-border struggles. These conversations shed light on the challenges faced by communities fighting for their right to home and dignified living conditions in Los Angeles and Mexico City.

A Tale of Two Cadences

Charles Tomlinson Griffes was a visionary American composer at the turn of the twentieth century who synthesized highly diverse elements into a new artistic voice. This essay explores two instances of musical irony in Griffes’s oeuvre. “The Vale of Dreams” introduces a new tonal center at the end, which casts doubt on the overall structural role of the recurring bass pedal. Griffes’s use of irony in “Prelude #3” has a more critical character in that he questions underlying theoretical assumptions about scale-degree identity and the traditional concepts of consonance and dissonance. In addition, the double irony awakened in the final chord undermines the model of binary form and the aesthetic principle of closure upon which that model is based. As a result, the third prelude constitutes a kind of musico-philosophical challenge, an aesthetic exclamation point that invites listeners to reconsider traditional definitions of interval quality, tonality, and formal closure.

Dissent Art in the Digital Age: Insights into the Culture of Artivism on Instagram in India

The introduction of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in 2019 marked a discernible change in the landscape of online protest art. As protests against the act gathered momentum, a surge in the art endorsing the movement dominated Indian social media and increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. This wave was propelled by a cohort of “artivists” with social and cultural influence who were positioned favorably on the digital spectrum. They used platforms such as Instagram to craft and share protest art, leveraging social media to express their dissent. The intensification of the online protests subsequently led to instances of individual and organized abuse directed at the artists, including mob attacks and threats of First Information Reports. This paper explores this phenomenon through extensive interactions with online “artivists” in India in order to understand the cultural shift and emphasize the similarities and differences between virtual dissent art and traditional forms of art activism. Adopting a qualitative methodology that combines digital ethnography and semi-structured interviews, the author—who also found her artistic voice amidst this movement—seeks to capture the artists’ approaches and subjectivity. The paper further delves into the limitations and constraints posed by social media platforms, addressing the issue of online harassment faced by artivists on Instagram. Lastly, it engages in a discourse on how social media commodifies dissent within the landscape of digital capitalism.

Performing in the pandemic: The COVID-19 chronicles of Asian mother artists

This article seeks to collect stories and make heard the voices of mother artists of Asian descent/Asia, about their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus is on documenting the implications of their experiences during the pandemic, on their maternal role performance and their studio practice. Some of the points of departure proposed to the artists include disruptions in routines, re-prioritization of work, changes in durational attention given to the work before the pandemic, the psychological and physiological impact of the pandemic on individual health to impede role performance, and the impact of the challenges/changes on the sense of self/identity. At the same time there is also a curiosity about the coping mechanisms they might have sought to counter the situations. I have curated the collection of narratives by inviting Phaptawan Suwannakudt (Australia and Thailand), Nidhi Agarwal (India), Monika Lin (China and United States), Tazeen Qayyum (Canada and Pakistan) and Arisa Chinen (Japan) to share their stories. Their artistic responses will be in the form of text and image.

Empowering piano students of Western classical music: challenging teaching and learning of musical interpretation in higher education

ABSTRACT This study aimed to empower piano students and explore their understandings of how teaching and learning of musical interpretation of Western classical music could be developed to foster autonomy and a personal, authentic artistic voice. Two research questions were formulated: How have students experienced teaching and learning of musical interpretation? How do students envision a meaningful organisation of such teaching and learning? The empirical material, created during a participatory action research project with 4 piano students within an artistic bachelor programme, was hermeneutically analysed, and narratives were created and twice negotiated with the students. Their education was described as backwards-looking and not preparing for autonomous learning and musicianship. In contrast, a meaningful organisation was envisioned as collaborative, dialogical, characterised by openness, humility, honesty, and mutual understanding, where musical interpretation is viewed as a complex, ongoing, open-ended process, allowing for multiple, incompatible views, breaking from the master–apprentice model and the current restrictive ideology.

TRANSIT ZONE. EXIT GATE № 2020-2021

The article is designed to analyse the preconditions for maintaining creative independence in the period 2020-2021. The research was conducted during the international art project “# 365daysafter”, which aimed to collect stories and voices of artists from four local contexts, analytically study art during the pandemic in Ukraine and around the world. The growing negative impact of social restrictions has prompted the search for ways to break down the walls of isolation and create a virtual “Library of Artist’s stories”. The text of the field study on the limitations of social activity during the pandemic contains stories about the experience of artists from different countries on ways to cope with obstacles, effective examples of successful overcoming the crisis. Analysis of examples of finding effective methods and ways not to lose creative activity in the face of local and international constraints on social life and communication.

Voice Recognition and Evaluation of Vocal Music Based on Neural Network.

Artistic voice is the artistic life of professional voice users. In the process of selecting and cultivating artistic performing talents, the evaluation of voice even occupies a very important position. Therefore, an appropriate evaluation of the artistic voice is crucial. With the development of art education, how to scientifically evaluate artistic voice training methods and fairly select artistic voice talents is an urgent need for objective evaluation of artistic voice. The current evaluation methods for artistic voices are time-consuming, laborious, and highly subjective. In the objective evaluation of artistic voice, the selection of evaluation acoustic parameters is very important. Attempt to extract the average energy, average frequency error, and average range error of singing voice by using speech analysis technology as the objective evaluation acoustic parameters, use neural network method to objectively evaluate the singing quality of artistic voice, and compare with the subjective evaluation of senior professional teachers. In this paper, voice analysis technology is used to extract the first formant, third formant, fundamental frequency, sound range, fundamental frequency perturbation, first formant perturbation, third formant perturbation, and average energy of singing acoustic parameters. By using BP neural network methods, the quality of singing was evaluated objectively and compared with the subjective evaluation of senior vocal professional teachers. The results show that the BP neural network method can accurately and objectively evaluate the quality of singing voice by using the evaluation parameters, which is helpful in scientifically guiding the selection and training of artistic voice talents.