A Sensory Experience

How to share sound, smell, taste, and touch through the sense of sight.

Photo: Jonah Hewett

by Rolando Charles
on 3 December 2023

in Issue 1836

There is something contradictory about the senses. Perceiving the world around us is a natural thing to do, but it feels very unnatural to think about. Consider where you are right now. Do you feel your feet? Not just their presence, but also the texture of the socks you’re wearing. Take a deep breath, what can you smell? Close your eyes. Is that same smell stronger now? Listen to the sound your heart makes thumping in your chest. Are you always aware of it?

This perception of the world around us, however, isn’t purely informational, it’s evocative too.

I’m sure you’ve had a cup of tea before; you know the taste, the smell, the senses that it tingles as it runs down your throat. The warmth you feel on your palms as you look at the mug’s colourful design.

Now look at Jonah’s picture. The cup of tea is the obvious subject, but the photo evokes some other scene, something personal and familiar to the viewer, maybe a childhood memory or a last Sunday.

The picture transforms into a wonderful mirror of our own personal, sensory experience.

I won’t ruin this comment by talking about Jonah’s technical skills too much, but it would be remiss of me not to mention the razor-sharp focus, the mellow shadows, the soft highlights, and the great composition that makes us feel like participants in this tea ceremony. Just a little bonus for the photographers out there who think that the camera takes the picture.

Minor White, a twentieth century American photographer, took many pictures on this same topic. “At first glance, a photograph can inform us. At second glance it can reach us,” he once said.

This is a great way to describe Jonah’s picture: at first glance, a cup of tea; at second glance, some long-lost heartwarming memory. Peeled Paint (1959) by White offers a comparison to this photo. You can almost feel and touch the paint, but the real subject of the image is an evocation, a symbol of our own which doesn’t need to be shared with anyone else.

Untitled is a powerful picture, one that can speak differently to everyone who looks at it. I’d call it A Quiet Sip, but I suggest you give the photo your own title.

Also in this issue...

Travel

Hallo Heidelberg, Hallo Hausmeister!

In a new collaboration with exchange student Evelyn, she introduces her newest home in the corner of Heidelberg.

Imperial steams forward with ‘horse sh*t’ UN mural

‘It‘s sh*t,’ say students, as College President Hugh Brady claims ‘enthusiastic’ support

Calls for new Imperial logo to be replaced as petition exceeds 2,700 signatures

College says it will “take any opportunity to hear what people think, to listen, and to answer questions.”

Imperial back to winning ways on University Challenge

Felix spoke to Imperial’s University Challenge team after its 285-145 demolition of Balliol College, Oxford.

ICU Elections: Student disillusion casts pall over Union President race

Over 40% of voters opted for candidates with no manifesto promises.

Union Council to vote on Imperial logo next week

Motion calls for Imperial to seek more feedback on new logo before continuing rollout.

About Felix

Felix is the student newspaper of Imperial College London. The first issue of Felix was published in 1949, as a continuation of the Phoenix publication that H. G. Wells founded in 1904.

Write For Us

We welcome any student, staff, or alumni of Imperial College London to write for Felix. To write for a specific section, email the corresponding editors. You can find their emails by clicking onto the section webpage through the menu. We accept anything from one-time contributions to weekly columns; any contributions beyond writing (illustrations, graphic design, etc) is also gladly received.

Contact

Email [email protected] for general inquiries.