Greater Spectrum

August 25, 2009 – August 8, 2010 —

Senses collide in this year-long exhibition filled with sights and sounds that come to life in the art. The interplay of line, color, and shape provokes auditory nuances that offer viewers a new approach to experiencing the art.

Vassily Kandinsky, the famous Russian Abstract Expressionist painter, once said that the laws of harmony are the same for painting and music. With that theory in mind, selections for the Sights & Sounds exhibition include works that may “strike a chord” with the viewer by eliciting a reaction that may include the recollection of a musical piece or perhaps even a sound.

Tom Rierden’s Blue Moon is a painting whose subject features two figures playing a banjo and a bass string instrument, and vibrant colors and subtle patterns that may tempt visitors to tap their toes to the music playing in their heads. In contrast, the heavy dark lines, bold shapes, and limited use of bright colors of Richard Trickey’s Untitled (abstract with cylinders) may elicit an entirely different rhythmic response. Also on view are works that carry a multicultural component: Robert Weaver’s Pakistani Dancer and Clarence Ellsworth’s images entitled Indian Shield Dancer, Indian Buffalo Dance, and Indian Playing Flute.

An in-gallery electronic presentation includes music and sound clips that engage viewers by allowing them to make connections to artworks in the exhibition. Musical instruments and movement props are also available with suggestions on how to interact with specific artworks.

This cross-discipline exhibition, combining art and music, inspires the imagination and causes viewers to “listen” to the art.