Kevin Furlong
Senior Lecturer Graphic Design
Biography
This aural exposure steered his emergence as an audio artist in the early eighties, tinkering with tape loops, effects pedals, synthesisers and drum machines to create new sounds from old and new technology. Using microphones, cut up tape and echo machines, he and his peers absorbed and interpreted environmental sound into disjointed audio art. The cut up culture was also applied to moving image creating motion design that complimented the audio. His visual work has always been driven by audio, including moving image or design layout inspired to illustrate any composition. This relationship of sound with image, the sound moving the image, inevitably led to his interaction with art school and eventually his research and his teaching. He studied at Liverpool Art School where he also spent some of his formative teaching years, developing his teaching through his research. He joined the University of Chester in September 2005 as acting programme leader for graphic design. He later spent nine months as deputy head of design, nine months as acting head of design and twelve months as deputy head of art & design. He is currently focused on his research and teaching as senior lecturer in graphic design.
Teaching and Supervision
Kevin is an artist who lectures in Media, Art and Design, specialising in visual communication, photography, moving image and sound design [motion design, film making and animation].
Research and Knowledge Exchange
Kevin is currently researching the interaction of sound in digital media and virtual space while looking at the designer’s perception of time in relation to sound material and moving image. The research is investigating the reasoning behind the final decisions and the production of sound design in moving image making, the methods, design, story, script, the screenplay and direction. Moving image structure relates digital sound material with the aim of presenting a memorable experience, inviting repeated listening. The methods by which moving image maker’s perceive and remember sound information are important to the moving image making process. Sound is shown to have an underlying and unifying role with moving image design. Methods of unifying the structure and capturing the listeners’ attention over long duration are investigated by considering sound behaviour and influence throughout the moving image making process. There is a narrow distinction between the interpretation of music and the interpretation of sound design. Compared with visuals, audio has been undervalued, and less, under developed. The research is looking at: the identification of key units of decision making in the composition of sound in digital media addressing the issues that emerge for designers when designing sound for digital moving image environments the investigation and identification of issues of visual bias in digital media spaces. To establish a new approach for designing sound in digital media it is felt necessary to first identify the design problems.