The Shipping Forecast
The Shipping Forecast is a weather forecast specifically designed for shipping, providing crucial information about conditions in the sea areas around the British Isles. Despite its practical function, the forecast has taken on a cultural significance, often perceived as rhythmic, hypnotic, and even poetic by those who listen. It is something I have never fully grasped, perhaps never will, which is precisely why I chose this direction for my creative exploration.
Rather than attempting to decipher the forecast in a literal sense, I sought to interpret the sensation it evokes, particularly the idea of white noise, a phenomenon many listeners associate with the broadcast. This conceptual approach naturally lent itself to the medium of code, where repetition, layering, and algorithmic sequencing could visually mirror the continuous ebb and flow of the forecast’s delivery. The final piece is a grid of continuously looping codes, each representing and visualising selected lines from Seamus Heaney’s ‘The Shipping Forecast’. Through detailed analysis of the poem, I aimed to construct a set of visuals that embody its tone and rhythm: captivating yet calming, structured yet fluid. The result is an interplay between poetry, data, and movement, designed to immerse the viewer in the same quiet, meditative state that white noise inspires. By translating the auditory experience of the forecast into a dynamic visual form, this project explores the poetic and abstract dimensions of information, rethinking the way we engage with coded systems, weather reports, and the overlooked aesthetics of functional language.
