Silence...a visual communicater

After seeing and hearing Johnny Hardstaff (who was amazing and a great inspirator for manchester and 'do work you want to do') I really have to re-consider my opportunities and what I want from Uni...In the end where do I want to go. I know what I want but will I get it??

Its going to be a tough year, I need to focus on what makes me and happy to produce the best work to my ability and to push my boundaries. So, while Im still undecided and confusing myself I feel like letting go and being and more importantly doing, what I want to do. The rest of my inner voice will have to wait untill I can understand my own thoughts.

OK, the project.

I had two main ideas...

• Exploring the underground network of manhole covers
• Breaking the barriers of visual language, exploring communication in the form of lipreading.

I have decided to concentrate on the latter option as I feel that I personally will gain more from it and I can push the creative boundaries to create a large body of work. I will explain at a later date.

But for now, Ive researched the visual language in terms of Lip reading/lip speaking and how when you take away the sound element what is created. The converstaion now becomes totally different and transformed.

I read recently that only 30-40% of the spoken English language is clearly visible on the lips, so when you take away sound what is created? I not looking at deafness, but the visual clues formed when a speaker pronounces words without sound.

Take this, the words:

"where theres life, theres hope" also looks identical to
"wheres the lavender soap"

I want to document the movement of the mouth to see what shapes are formed.Here I have also studied the muscles of the face to see if this will aid my development.

Its an interesting drawing to look at. Take away the purpose of the muscles and see the patterns and positions that are formed. Im not going into depth on this, however its interesting to note the background of what many of us take for granted.

Just a question to end?

Do any of you ever wonder what we'd look like if we didnt have a mouth?