2008
In her 2008 Master’s thesis,
"The visualization of sound: an investigation into the interplay of the senses in artmaking" (Cape Peninsula University of Technology), Lyn Smuts analyzes Max Neuhaus as a key figure who bridged the gap between auditory and visual artistic practices.
Key Analysis of Max Neuhaus
Smuts examines Neuhaus's work through the lens of synesthesia and cross-modal perception, focusing on how he "visualized" sound without relying on traditional musical notation:
- Circumscription Drawings: Smuts discusses Neuhaus's specialized drawings—which he called "circumscriptions"—not as mere sketches, but as essential visual components of his sound works. These drawings define the spatial "territory" of a sound installation, using visual lines to represent the boundaries and intensity of an invisible auditory field.