SOUND!
Sound! is a series of paintings that interprets the sonic landscape of music. It is a series of work consisting of nine pieces representing music from 1960s - 2000s. The idea of visually depicting sound through geometric abstraction has always been fascinating to me. Musical sounds can evoke certain emotions, but I have always been in awe of how it can create color and form in my mind's eye. In addition to instrumentation, popular musical pieces incorporate special effects and it is my intention to capture these sounds as they are part of the sonic landscape. Although I depict the tonal quality of the singing voice, the work itself is void of any lyrical influence.
Each piece in the series began with the question, "What do I visualize for each sound?" Then I asked, "Which sound has movement and which sound is static?" These questions were proposed while I listened to the music through stereo headphones which provided the opportunity to discover sonic elements I might not have heard otherwise.
Songs have a beginning and an end. I imagined the sounds moving through a linear plane of space and therefore, horizontal compositions were created to resemble a timeline. This composition allows the viewer to see when certain sounds start and stop. The work is not based on literal timing structures such as beat, tempo or musical notation, but it is based on the instrumental patterns played by the musicians.
Individual sounds are represented by painted discs. The discs evoke the sonic layers while the colors provide an identity for each sound. Placement of the discs create form and movement that mimic the patterns of each sonic element. The canvas orchestrates the composition while providing the overall tone for the piece. This overall tone was decided by the general mood conjured up by the entire piece of music.
Production quality also affected what I visualized and committed to canvas. The layering of discs shows how sound can overlap and weave through a musical composition. In many cases, the vocals are at the forefront of the recording which are symbolized by the largest discs. Some instruments, such as the drums produced multiple hues. For instance, the cymbals provide a different quality in sound than the snare or bass drum. The same is true for any instrument that was processed through special effects such as pedals, tape loops or synthesizers. In this case, you may see one form blend from one color into another. The result is a multi-dimensional illusion from one perspective.
Each piece in the series began with the question, "What do I visualize for each sound?" Then I asked, "Which sound has movement and which sound is static?" These questions were proposed while I listened to the music through stereo headphones which provided the opportunity to discover sonic elements I might not have heard otherwise.
Songs have a beginning and an end. I imagined the sounds moving through a linear plane of space and therefore, horizontal compositions were created to resemble a timeline. This composition allows the viewer to see when certain sounds start and stop. The work is not based on literal timing structures such as beat, tempo or musical notation, but it is based on the instrumental patterns played by the musicians.
Individual sounds are represented by painted discs. The discs evoke the sonic layers while the colors provide an identity for each sound. Placement of the discs create form and movement that mimic the patterns of each sonic element. The canvas orchestrates the composition while providing the overall tone for the piece. This overall tone was decided by the general mood conjured up by the entire piece of music.
Production quality also affected what I visualized and committed to canvas. The layering of discs shows how sound can overlap and weave through a musical composition. In many cases, the vocals are at the forefront of the recording which are symbolized by the largest discs. Some instruments, such as the drums produced multiple hues. For instance, the cymbals provide a different quality in sound than the snare or bass drum. The same is true for any instrument that was processed through special effects such as pedals, tape loops or synthesizers. In this case, you may see one form blend from one color into another. The result is a multi-dimensional illusion from one perspective.
