Becoming your Meaning

Becoming Your Meaning

            The propensity of the cuttlefish to adjust shape, color, and physical behavior depending on its mood and its interaction with other organisms was a jumping-off point for our imaginations with this project. By studying the way that they communicate visually, we thought that we might be able to apply certain concepts from their interactions into the realm of human fashion (seeing as how we do not currently possess the technology to change our skin).  Our goal was to look into the possibility of creating a language that is not limited by words and definitions – allowing for creative expression that can connect us beyond a systematic rhetoric (a preconceived notion that is handed down without allowing for one to come up with their own interpretation of existence) Within these thoughts is the possibility of a world with more options for communication – options that we can create for ourselves. So we tried to translate the (possibly unconscious) behavior of the cuttlefish into practical motions and symbols for intentional human use.

            As humans we to have a way of communicating with each other through the way we present ourselves. When we see a man in a suit with trimmed hair and a suitcase and compare him to a young man with shaggy hair, ripped jeans and a can of red bull, we automatically understand certain things about each individual. The associations that come with brand names of clothing and products such as red bull are a marketed language. There are certain feelings associated with appearance that are inherent to human nature: a frown and down cast eyes imply different kinds of sadness; a smile, a wrinkled forehead, etc. all have a group of feelings they can be associated with and understood across cultural boundaries. The cuttlefish also sends out universal signifiers to animals of different species, whether it is to defend itself or attract – the language is there.

Cephalopod skin

            We first studied chromatophores in great detail to get a better understanding of exactly what is going on beneath the surface of the cuttlefish’s skin. These chromatophores are a combination of pigment-containing and light-reflecting cells in cephalopods and other animals, which are connected to muscles that expand and contract according to neural impulses. Interestingly, this action is based on visual cues, and (seeing as how the fish themselves are colorblind) also is meant mostly for interspecies communication and interaction.

Chromatophore diagram

            Although we know that there is no evidence that cuttlefish possess Theory of Mind, they are still able to communicate effectively with this visual language. If they can do this without the ability to even understanding the concept of understanding, then perhaps there is a way humans can implement similar techniques in order to better understand each other. Since there is no single language that all people understand, perhaps we could form a series of motions and colors that express not words, but emotions and thoughts – like a less conversation-oriented sign language.

            We thought about the ways that both cuttlefish and humans deal with the same situations and how those ideas could help us form this language. Probably most importantly is camouflage. The fish will blend in to its surroundings nearly perfectly to wait for prey or to avoid predators. When this fails, it will do a large, bold contrast display of color. We looked for similar behaviors in humans and found the natural inclination to blend in when uncomfortable in a situation and then reacting strongly when your cover is blown – like blushing when you are called out in an unforgiving crowd. In mating, the cuttlefish use their colors and displays to attract attention. Humans might wear certain clothes that are flashy, clothes that would imply an extroverted character, or one who is confident enough to make a scene (like Lady Gaga) – potentially implying that they know best. Clothing used to be a class signifier, separating the royals from the peasants from the indentured servants. Even among a class one might be able to tell whose house someone worked in because the only clothes they owned were of the colors of their masters house. This idea has evolved into clothing as an indicator of social identity, although it still can signify economic status.

Nick Cave "Soundsuits"

            There has been in-depth research and experimentation into several of the concepts that we have been exploring, yet no projects that really combine them all. For instance, the engineers and scientists have been looking at cuttlefish camouflage technique and the practical, strategic applications for imitation skin technology. The Noun Project is an online database making an attempt to create a visual universal language through symbols and shapes that describe very specific items and circumstances. Some of the symbols are universal and some are very culturally specific, but they all cross the language boundary as long as you have come into contact with that object before. Nick Cave’s “Soundsuits” implement clothing as a medium like ours. In speaking of his work, he says that they allow people to express themselves and move in new and much more freeing ways, literally erasing the visual cultural boundaries at the same time by disguising race beneath a common and changeable visual form. He is aiding in the creation of a new medium through which to “speak” without any words. Also very relevant to our work, Susanne K. Langer has some interesting thoughts on the matter of “connotational semantics” in terms of music, which has the ability to communicate thoughts and feelings without actually correlating to any type of representational language. This is basically where we ended up in our project.

            The fabric costume was designed with spandex in the colors that occur in cuttlefish skin: black, white, yellow, and iridescent blue and pink. Since the purpose of this project was to introduce this concept, we wanted to start off somewhere simple. We tried to keep our “visual language” relevant to signs and actions that are relevant to all humans across cultural borders while incorporating the color and shape-changing ability of the fabric. The motion for “hunger” for instance, incorporated the white rectangle that we saw in the experiments with cuttlefish on checkerboards and we placed it on the stomach to be expanded when hungry. “Anger” involved fast, aggressive movements incorporating the iridescent blue on the back in reference to the cuttlefish  “spaceship” light display when hunting prey. Sadness was pretty self-explanatory – the blending in with black coloration and quite literally retreating into oneself. And then of course there was the interest in a mate or the “courtship dance,” which basically just involved the most outrageous and bold movements and colors possible to achieve.

            In the future, this project might be expanded further to encompass more styles of animal visual communication to see just how far studying animals can help us to understand our own limited communication. At the moment, the only way we can “speak” with them is by training them to respond to our language, whereas animals can communicate across species with relative ease. With better funding and more time, we could improve the technology, size, and shape of the garment, streamlining the gestures, and perhaps even implement it in a way that allows for not only cross-cultural but cross-species communication.

Bibliography

Anthes, Emily. "Cuttlefish Provide Smart Fashion Tips." BBC Future. September 11, 2012. Accessed April 29, 2015. http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120907-smart-fashion-tips-by-cuttlefish.

            - Research into cuttlefish skin technology

Barbosa, A., L. Litman, and RT. Hanlon. "Changeable Cuttlefish Camouflage Is Influenced by Horizontal and Vertical Aspects of the Visual Background." PubMed 194, no. 4 (2008): 405-13. Accessed April 29, 2015. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/pubmed/18188570.

            -  Studying the visual stimuli aspect of a cuttlefish’s camouflage process

            - Found to be combining different elements the from environment when deciding which                          tactic to use

Barbosa, A., J. J. Allen, L. M. Mathger, and R. T. Hanlon. "Cuttlefish Use Visual Cues To Determine Arm Postures For Camouflage." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2011, 84-90. Accessed April 29, 2015. http://rspb.royalsociety publishing.org/content/early/2011/05/10/rspb.2011.0196.

            - Positional behavior in relation to camouflage

            - Arm postures and attempts to blend in with entire body, not just color

Boal, J.G. "Social Recognition: A Top Down View of Cephalopod Behavior." Vie Et Millieu - Life & Environment 56, no. 2 (2006): 69-79. Accessed April 29, 2015. http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:JnzQlAX-yPQJ:www.millersville.edu/biology/faculty/boal-pdf/5.boal_vie_milieu_2006.pdf &cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us.

            - Jean Boal’s research on social recognition and interactions within the cephalopod                                 communities

Brown, C., M. P. Garwood, and J. E. Williamson. "It Pays to Cheat: Tactical Deception in a Cephalopod Social Signalling System." Biology Letters 11, no. 4 (2012): 729-32. Accessed May 1, 2015. http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early /2012/06/26/rsbl.2012.0435.short.

            - Deceptive signaling and communication in mating

Chiao, C.-C., J. K. Wickiser, J. J. Allen, B. Genter, and R. T. Hanlon. "Hyperspectral Imaging Of Cuttlefish Camouflage Indicates Good Color Match In The Eyes Of   Fish Predators."Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 108, no. 22 (2015): 9148-153. Accessed May 1, 2015. http://www.pnas.org/content/108/22/9148.full.

            - Study of cuttlefish color matching from the eyes of their predators

"Exposing the Seabed Surprise / David Gallo." Love of Learning. July 8, 2014. Accessed April 29, 2015. http://www.20187.org.tw/ai-de-xue-xi/ying-yin-xue-xi/ying-yin-xue-xi/jieluhaidijingqidavidgallo.

              - Cuttlefish exploration

              - Source for our working title

Hanlon, Roger T., Anya C. Watson, and Alexandra Barbosa. "A “Mimic Octopus” in the Atlantic: Flatfish Mimicry and Camouflage by Macrotritopus Defilippi." Marine Biological Laboratory 218, no. 1 (2010): 15-24. Accessed April 29, 2015. http://www.biolbull.org/content/218/1/15.long.

            - Studying other kinds of camouflage and environment-affected behavior

Hanlon, Roger. "Cephalopod Dynamic Camouflage." Current Biology 17, no. 11 (2007): R400-404. Accessed April 29, 2015. http://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(07)01138-4.

            - Research and experimentation with visual patterning in cuttlefish

            - Colorblindness test – it perceived only wavelengths

            - Uniform, mottle, and disruptive camouflage theory

Kamea, Tala. "Words: Sound as Signifier: Communication and Expression Through the Sound of Clothing." Talakamea.com. January 1, 2012. Accessed April 29, 2015. http://talakamea.com/filter/cuttlefish/Words

            - Exploration of the connection between fashion and communication

            - Susanne K. Langer’s discussion of music and connotational language

            - Nick Cave “soundsuits” and thoughts on breaking cultural boundaries

"Kings of Camouflage." YouTube. Accessed April 29, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgdVVU8tBTQ.

            - Exploration into camouflage techniques

            - Decision-making process for light displays

            - Visual research into colors and shapes

Lynch, E.D.W. "The Noun Project, A Global Visual Language of Open Source Icons." Laughing Squid. October 9, 2013. Accessed April 29, 2015. http://laughingsquid.com/the-noun-project-a-global-visual-language-of-open-source-icons/.

            - Description and video of the Noun Project’s goals and basis

Parker, G. H. "Animal Color Changes and Their Neurohumors." The Quarterly Review of Biology 18, no. 3 (1943): 205. Accessed April 29, 2015. http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2808996?uid=3739656&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21106634317603.

            - Neurological control of chromatophores

            - Changing color with life cycles

Stuart-Fox, Devi, and Adnan Moussalli. "Camouflage, Communication And Thermoregulation: Lessons From Colour Changing Organisms." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 364, no. 1516 (2009):   463-70. Accessed April 29, 2015. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19000973.

            - Three camouflage/ anti-predator behaviors

            - Sexual and social signaling

            - Evolution of color change - advantages in communication

            - Possible thermoregulation uses

Wood, Dr. James, and Kelsie Jackson. "How Cephalopods Change Color." The Cephalopod Page. September 16, 2004. Accessed April 29, 2015. http://www.thecephalopodpage.org/cephschool/HowCephalopodsChangeColor.pdf           

            - Describing the layers of chromatophores and their individual functions

            - Process involved in color changing

-Kaleigh Moynihan
-Connie West