In the Field : Bouches-du-Rhône
Exploring the soundscapes of the South of France
“We live in a rainbow of chaos.”
— Paul Cézanne
Living in the Southern French city of Aix-en-Provence, I have familiarised myself with the work of the Impressionist painter and proud son of the Aixois community - Paul Cézanne.
I’ve spent many an idle afternoon reflecting on these words -
“we live in a rainbow of chaos”
A fitting accompaniment to Cézanne’s body of transcendental works that evoke so alluringly the pure beauty of nature here in this part of the world.
Cézanne was a master of artistic expression, capable of extracting great vibrancy from otherwise sombre settings.
And, as it was then that this bearded mystic elder would pass his time wandering, reminiscing, painting, making pilgrimages to the local Sainte-Victoire mountain - documenting his revelations and discoveries through a vast collection of landscapes and environmental studies, so it is now that I take great pleasure in retracing his steps, exploring these beautiful capillaries of the Provençal countryside.
Through my work, I have had the great fortune to get to know and study this same environment, and whilst vastly inferior in my ability with pencil and brush, I believe that I can begin to understand Cézanne’s words through my own explorations and experiments working with the medium of sound - in particular through field recording.
A few years back, whilst giving a field recording workshop at a public library in the small commune of Châteaurenard, I was approached by the director of the Arles based creative design agency Canopée to produce a soundscape for a project they were working on with the Bouches-du-Rhône municipality - one of the 6 départements, or districts, of the PACA (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur) region.
The project sought to promote ecotourism in the area by placing a focus specifically on the senses — interpreting landscapes, flora and fauna, local crafts and artisan products. Intrigued by the prospect of setting out to record tales, trails and sounds, I wandered nomadically with my microphones through a vast territory out across a common geographical area dubbed ‘MIMS’ - an acronym representing the towns of Martigues, Istres, Miramas and Salon-de-Provence - to shine a light on the singular identity of a seemingly ‘forgotten’ tourist area that sits between the Camargue and the Calanques.
Take a listen to this… 🎧
You are listening to the final soundscape that I created for this project.
This soundscape, to be listened to ideally through a good pair of headphones, immerses the listener in a sensory journey from Salon-de-Provence to Martigues, through the many environments and ambiences of Provence and on out towards the Mediterranean Sea.
It was presented alongside a portable installation exhibited in tourist offices, galleries and public spaces of the region - titled the Sensorium. It's a work made up of removable, self-contained sections that represent each part of the region, on which are printed stylised illustrations of the elements that share the region's identity. Metal rods pinned geographically highlight sensory cues, which feature a curated collection of locally sourced samples to touch, taste and smell.
The next phase of this creative collaboration will see me explore the soundscapes of the Mont Ventoux national park in the Vaucluse region. A beautiful sprawling reserve of creeks, canyons, forests and vineyards that surround the iconic mountain topped with a white crest that gives it the illusion of eternal snows, due to its white limestone summit.
If you are interesting in reading more about my creative work and research eploring the soundscapes of mountains - check out this recent post below…
Got your own field recording story you’d like to share…?
I really dig hearing other people’s perspective — the challenges, joys, trials and tribulations, however arbitrary or convoluted - so please feel free to get in touch!
Sonic Tapestries is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, please consider becoming a free subscriber.
Your kind support helps me to grow my audience and continue on my creative path.
If you do like reading along and want to help support my work further, please consider sharing this post with your friends, family and followers.
Thank you for being here with me.
Mat
🌻
