Towards a Fluid Audiovisual Counterpoint

The author critiques and expands his concept of "fluid audiovisual counterpoint" by investigating the relevance of the species counterpoint tradition in music to conceptualizing audiovisual relationships in abstract video music. He points out both gains and limitations of such an approach, considering in particular issues of temporal and perceptual hierarchy, atomism, and gesture. He also considers how this might relate to Adam Basanta's 2013 proposed three-axes model of audiovisual relationship typologies. Ultimately, he proposes elements of a "phenomenological theory of audiovisual counterpoint", with fluidity being a subcategory. As an example, he considers how this subcategory might be informed by the relationship between the gestures of Indian classical vocalists and the music they are singing. Ultimately, the argument is made that complete systematization of audiovisual counterpoint is not possible, or even desirable, and that informing the artistic intuition by expanding possibilities and sensitivities would be the primary goal of an audiovisual counterpoint pedagogy.