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Mark Fischer explores subtlety and nuance in sound, primarily focusing on the mysterious language of whales and dolphins. His work is based on the manipulation of Wavelets: a technique for transforming digital audio signals into images that evoke electronic mandalas. These digital art renderings are a poetic expression of the language of cetaceans, a highly intelligent species maligned by our rapidly changing ecology
Fischer began his study of acoustics developing software for Navy sonar and the telecommunications industry. This eventually culminated in his current portfolio; an artistic analysis of the extraordinary range of sound in the world's oceans. The artists oeuvre also calls to attention the precarious future facing cetaceans and the hazardous consequences of sonar exposure to whales. It is a sobering truth that for many years now the US Military has been aware that submarine sonar operations have a lethal impact upon the health and existence of cetacean life. Mammals of the sea rely upon hearing and sound for orientation, sustenance and communication and this has been hugely impacted by the practices of submarines and ships. Fischer is currently working with the military to better understand the ways of cetacean life. As is often the case in these tragic situations where humanity adversely impacts the natural world, we simply do not understand very much about these beautiful and mysterious creatures.
Mark Fischer has distinguished himself as an expert on the language of cetaceans through his art explorations and his work will hopefully pave the way for a more harmonious co-existence with these mammals. In an NY Times interview, Fischer states, “It’s a very rare opportunity to be in the water listening to a whale. When you see what whales are doing with sound, or begin to see what they are capable of, it is clear that humans are not the only artists on the planet.”
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