Information Aesthetics points to a great background article on the visual representation of taste in Ratatouille (a movie I absolutely recommend – great story, superb animation). I watched these sequences and didn’t think much about them – but what a great question : how can one visually demonstrate the sensation of taste? Additionally, how do tastes sound – the animations that Michael Gagne created for the movie were used as inspiration for the accompanying soundtrack. Is this a sign of sensory convergence? That flavours will combine and produce an entirely new visualization makes absolute sense, but how do you account for synergy or for catalytic behaviour. What a wonderful challenge to be presented with and to muse about.
There is a lot more to discover at Michael Gagne’s site. His work had appeared in a string of well known productions. Moreover, Gagne is a Québecois and Sheridan graduate – so wonderfully close to home.
I wonder what smell looks like?
