Spectres & Camouflage: The Sound of Silence (1938-1970)

Introduction

Silence is a rare - often beautiful, sometimes discomfiting - phenomenon. Harnessed in different manners, silence has multiple cultural, societal, scientific, psychological, artistic, and military implications.

Historical Context

In the 20th century, the impact and exploitation of silence manifested in the technological search for the soundless environment: a search which centered upon environmental control and design. It was shaped by disciplinary and international transfers of knowledge. Ultimately, the technology became known as anechoic (free from echo).

Knowledge Gaps

However, despite touching on numerous disciplines, and its relevance to a complex interplay of global knowledge transfer, conflict, and culture, very little is known of the architectural, military, and cultural history underpinning the development of this technology.

Project Overview

SPECTRES-CAMOUFLAGE examines the catalysts and implications inherent in that technological search, exploring its impact on:

1. Design and experimentation
2. Military strategy
3. Cultural production

It will explore how the developmental interplay that supported a culturally iconic medium also positioned it at the vanguard of technology and inserted it into global politics and conflict in the 20th century.

Timeframe and Objectives

The timeframe of the project extends from the eve of WWII to 1970. This project will draw together this intricate history, take account of transfers of knowledge, and establish the resultant transformations of knowledge.

Interdisciplinary Approach

It will integrate the histories of architecture, music, technology, and war studies, examining how developments in each propelled one another forward. The project’s multidisciplinary strands drawn together will constitute a new prism for learning more about technology transfer across the globe and across disciplines.

Conclusion

At its core, this research could reposition the role of technology and environmental design in 20th century global conflict, culture, and knowledge transfer, offering a new concept of environmental silence as a catalyst, mapped across disciplines.