Green, M. (2025) Sound Décollage in Environmentally Engaged Art Practice. In: Sound + Environment Symposium, Sept 4-5, 2025, Newcastle University, UK.

Original Abstract: This paper explores recent work by the author, which he defines as sound décollage—a practice rooted in the aesthetics of visual collage and experimental music. It is conceived as a form of layered sound composition constructed mainly from field recordings and archival sound and music, with emphasis on the imperfections inherent in these materials: incidental noise, distortions, and artefacts introduced by recording devices and media such as vinyl, tape, and digital files. Rather than viewing these as flaws, the practice embraces their texture and expressive potential. To situate this approach, the paper examines relevant artistic precedents across visual and sonic traditions, including post-war ‘lacerated poster’ artists, glitch musicians, and their precursors.

The second part of the paper considers the author’s application of sound décollage within environmentally focused art contexts. These include his contribution to Hear Us (2022–2025), an AHRC-funded project led by Alan Dunn and Helen Tookey, which explores the sea territory surrounding the Isle of Man through the ecological writings of Malcolm Lowry; At the Edge (2025), an audiovisual installation created in collaboration with Jenny Handley at the University of Leeds; and a forthcoming residency at Groundwork Gallery, King’s Lynn, responding to the theme Fluid Earth.