When I began painting in the abstract I had no real sense of the relationship between what I was doing and the artistry of musicians, jazz musicians in particular. I am no musician. Oh, I flirted with percussion many years ago and even attended a week long drumming workshop with African drum master Babatunde Olatunji. The only remnant of that experience is an African drum -- a junjun -- which sits forlornly in a corner of my office. I do tap out a tune on a table top or steering wheel now and then, but that is the extent of my musicality.
During my first attempts at painting in the abstract I listened to the music of favorite popular recording artists as I worked. Springsteen, Willie Nelson, Paul Simon. I listened to classical music as well – Smetana’s Die Moldau was a particular favorite. Ladysmith’s African vocals were on my playlist. Listening to music helped to inhibit the intrusion of thought in the painting process and encouraged a kind of flow. I was also watching video of Dutch painter who is a jazz saxophonist. He makes explicit the relationship between abstract painting and jazz, saying that both are about capturing a moment. The kinship between music and abstract painting was becoming more obvious to me.
I soon began to experience myself as an orchestra conductor as I worked. Each brushstroke or sweep of my palette knife seemed to call for a complementary measure of music; a delicate passage here, a crescendo there. There was no thought to this process; it was as if musical piece I was listening to called for expression, and my job was to give life to it. But, of course, it was all in the paint, the colors and shapes. That way of experiencing myself encouraged bold strokes and a spontaneity that I had not engaged in before. It brought a whole new style to my work. The painting shown here – Listen to the Music – is the first that emerged in that style. Several more paintings followed.
I have often been reminded that Wassily Kandinsky, often referred to as the father of abstract art, saw colors when he listened to music and heard music when he painted. He experienced synesthesia, a condition in which one sense triggers another. It is not that way for me and likely never will be, but I will continue to explore the synergy between my painting practice and its musical counterpart.
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The painting is "Listen to the Music." Details HERE
