Exploration in Digital Literature

Introduction

Etheric Ocean, written and developed by J.R. Carpenter and published in 2014, is a web-based work of electronic literature which explores the ways in which sound has shaped our existing, yet blurry understanding of the ocean. Described by Carpenter herself as “an underwater web art audio writing noise site,” Etheric Ocean serves as an archive of sounds, text, and images, which work together to develop an ambiguous and warped picture of the bodies of water that surround us, yet continue to elude us (Carpenter, Author's Statement). Readers scroll horizontally through a series of words and images, toggling different sounds on and off as they read and watch words and phrases appear and vanish. The piece was commissioned by the Electronic Voice Phenomena, a project which promotes new approaches to the coupling of writing and technology (Carpenter, Author's Statement). To explore the work in its entirety, click here.

Etheric Ocean is not only an exploration of our abstract understanding of the ocean, but an exploration of the ocean as physical space. By establishing a connection between sound and space, Etheric Ocean allows readers to build their own picture of the ocean through sound, helping to develop an appreciation for the process of grappling to understand what isn’t visible to the naked eye. In this sense, Etheric Ocean becomes an experimental method of communicating with an audience, in which user understanding is developed through a multi-sensory, interactive experience.


 

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