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The Optophono logo (above) was designed by Ryan O'Reilly, the enormously talented designer behind Rinky Design. The 'O' in Optophono hints at an eye (as in opto/optical), while the 'P' hints at an ear (as in phono/audial).
Our design was inspired by this: a cosmic amplifier by NASA. An actual cosmic amplifier!
After completing our logo design and publishing our first edition we discovered this: a print entitled 'Optophone I' by Francis Picabia, from 1922. Coincidence? Or kismet?
Untitled, Charles Frederick Richards 2017
Marble and onyx
550mm x 400mm | Photographer: C.Richards
One of the highlights for us at the End-of-Year Show at the Royal College of Art was Charles Richards' A.T.O.M.S. (Acoustic Tonalities of Mineral Sound), for which Richard sonifies the material properties of stones & minerals.
As part of his project Richards designed a turntable that resonates slabs of marble, travertine, Onyx and clays. He also made album of original compositions derived from the sonified properties of these materials.
Richards writes in the album notes that he wishes to 'inspire new ways of experiencing the materials that make up our landscapes and built [environments]. A.T.O.M.S. is the magnification of the micro sound worlds that lay semi-dormant within many forms of our earth's DNA, but that, as structural surfaces, also have profound effects in acoustically shaping the sound of our environments'.
Optophono is thrilled to announce that we'll be taking part in the Victoria & Albert Museum's Digital Design Weekend 2017, part of the London Design Festival. The exhibition will take place over the course of two days, 23-24 September. Organisers are expecting over 25,000 visitors, so arrive early! We will show a number of Optophono projects including apps we recently developed as part of our AHRC-funded project 'Pet Sounds'. We hope to see you there!
