Blurring the boundaries of art and music

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 21: Has a beautiful piece of art ever brought music to your ears?

An upcoming art event at the Bermuda National Gallery will literally bring art to your eyes and music to your ears simultaneously.

Some 13 musicians have been invited to create musical responses to the artwork installed at the gallery’s Biennial Exhibition of Contemporary Art in a bonding of creative disciplines.  

Chairman of the board of directors at the gallery Gary Phillips decided to hold The Art of Music event for a second year following the success of the inaugural event last year.

Proceeds will also help to fund the gallery going forward.

The internationally successful folk singer/songwriter Heather Nova is on the musical line-up as well as songwriter and producer John Woolridge of Proud to be Bermudian fame, and one of the first members of the Bermuda Menhuin Foundation, Kate Ross. 

The other musicians are Joy T Barnum and Milton Raposo, Michael Jones, Brian and Nicola Swan, James Richardson, Makeen ‘Haz’ Bartley, Lionel Thomas and Princess Black.

Nova told us that when approached by Mr Phillips she was “instantly taken” with the idea of merging visual art with music. She told us: “I loved the idea of participating in showing this natural flow and connection. You often see art — paintings, drawings, photographs — representing music; on an album cover, in a CD booklet, on websites etc, but you don’t often come across music representing paintings and sculpture. However all songwriters and musicians are inspired by what they see around them. When I write I am taking in everything from the colour of the sea to the look in someone’s eyes… so why not be inspired by a painting? To “interpret” a piece of art is really to do what we all do when we experience art — figure out what we feel when we stand in front of it. Does it move us? And if so how?”

Nova explained that the common ground for all art forms is emotion and said that is what has driven the direction of her composition for the show.

“The creative process is born of emotion and elicits an emotional response in us,” she said. “There may be an intellectual concept behind a piece of art, but if it doesn’t resonate at that core level then it isn’t really reaching us.”

The Art in Music event proves that art has no borders, said Nova, and that it will have the ability to connect different areas of our society. “Bringing music and art together blurs the boundary and invites the music fans into the gallery, and the fine arts fans to the music. It should be a great evening, and of course it’s wonderful to be able to help raise funds for the BNG which is such a great asset to our community.”

John Woolridge, a music teacher at Berkeley Institute and musician and producer for Just Platinum Records, is also composing a musical interpretation of a biennial piece. 

Last April, Woolridge lifted the spirits of the island during the most difficult times with his song Proud to be Bermudian. He said he is looking forward to a completely new musical experience. “I have composed music for various reasons, I have written scores for movies, audio, books and commercials where the music assists in setting the ambiance for a message, but I have never written music to express a work of art and the music then becomes the central focus. It will be interesting to see if the audience correlates between the two mediums or perhaps comes up with an interpretation of their own.

“This may spark more collaboration with artists of different media and perhaps Bermuda may become a mecca for a new dimension in the creative process and artistic expression.”

By the sounds of it his composition will spice things up on the night. “I have started working on it I am letting some things marinate — am working them up. I have a three-dimensional piece so I am expecting to weave with a lot of colour, texture and sound. I am going to pull out my spice rack so you will hear lots of different tones through modalities and keys.”

Kate Ross, head of senior years and IB coordinator at Bermuda High School and a well-respected pianist and violinist on the island will be taking part for the second time. Last year she composed a Celtic interpretation of Gainsborough’s Thomas John Medley Cott who was said to have Irish roots.

This year she is composing a piece with violin, flute and cello. She said: “I have tried to take what the artist titled their piece and responded by how it made me feel. I also wrote for instruments that I know which always helps.”

She said the event was positive addition to the arts calendar.

“I think it is wonderful that this is organically growing — it makes people aware of the interaction of art and the creative process and if it gets more people going to the art gallery then how fantastic is that?”