Exploration in Digital LiteratureMain MenuIntroduction to Exploration in Digital LiteratureWorks CitedAbout the Student AuthorsLucy Dunlop0f87c154df9d1f5b9c9db43bf755c92458e4029aChristina Dang16f8741b7c1912c88412ac3ecd3d51712dc3f3f0Deena Lang131c436bb0b401aee393cec40c25d6b298e0d091Amelia Tan072c06bdfc7e7ce98f28891a102d135bb24f1261
Jellyfish Screenshot
1media/screenshot 4_thumb.JPG2019-11-16T06:46:41-08:00Deena Lang131c436bb0b401aee393cec40c25d6b298e0d091355681Screenshot of Jellyfish from Etheric Ocean, J.R. Carpenter, 2014plain2019-11-16T06:46:43-08:00Deena Lang131c436bb0b401aee393cec40c25d6b298e0d091
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12019-11-13T12:46:08-08:00Introduction14etheric ocean introplain2019-11-16T06:47:37-08:00Etheric 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.