Megan Watts Hughes’ Voice Figures at Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Art Gallery

In this episode of Your Art, Unlocked, curator, facilitator and artist support worker, Steph Roberts visits Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Art Gallery in Merthyr Tydfil to unlock an unusual series of visual sound works by singer and scientist Megan Watts Hughes. Megan’s ‘Voice Figures’ were made in the nineteenth century using glass plates, powders and coloured pastes. But the secret ingredient? The human voice. In her quest to discover more about these pioneering works, Steph talks to Rob Mullender Ross about how Megan recorded her voice, while contemporary sound artist Cheryl Beer reveals the impact the Voice Figures has had on her own work. At Cyfarthfa, Michelle Lewis details how these fragile works entered the collection. So what does the human voice look like? Let’s find out! This is your art in your museums and galleries, so let's get to know it a little better. Your Art, Unlocked is produced by Art UK and supported by Bloomberg Connects. Sound editor: Chris Sharp