Author: Scott Von Holzen

I am currently renewing an artistic adventure that first started in 1974, and ended in the early 1980's. A casual comment restarted the quest in art in 2004. Now, at night I am surrounded by artworks done and in progress, shelves full of art books, my music collection playing through a classic NAD amp and a pair of solid, classic free standing speakers, my piano, violin, blues guitar, and saxophone. So all is musical no matter what I am up to in the studio. Since I was a kid I have had the urge to be creative Now, in my later sixties, I am determine to know. I want to follow this to the end to see what these paintings, and all this music amounts to. This is probably the last great adventure I will have, so I am all in. So, watch out for nonstop music, canvases with multiple panels, with paint spread thick or dribbled on, words with meaning, and results that will challenge, push the meaning of music, and may even splash back. This blog's real purpose is to document my story in the making, and you are welcomed to follow along. Thank you for your support. Scotty Von Holzen

S_V_H God Only Knows

Published on by Scott Von Holzen
God Only Knows, 29 3/4″ x 13 1/2″ Canvas, aluminum with wood features.

This little commission artwork is finished. It took a lot longer than I thought. The issue, and I already know this, is no matter the size of the artwork the prep, the decision-making and the problem solving ends up consuming the same amount of time no matter the size of the artwork.

I am not comfortable working with the color green. That really is silly for I have a great range and variety of greens in jars to work with, and for this music green had to dominate the look.
So it does, but don’t expect the next artwork to carry on this look.

The words you see in this work, “God knows you,” come from the music’s lyric, “God only knows what I’d be without you.” What you see in these two sentences, are some shared words with different meanings.  My need, for any words that I use, is that together they do not refer directly to the music.  I always Google down three pages to confirm that there is no connection.  I actually like working with the words in this way.  These artworks go beyond the music that they start with, in direction and meaning. They also have greater depth than any abstract image of the music. As mention in many blog entries before, these artworks are a portrait of an individual piece of music. They represent a musical piece uniqueness and character.

I have to comment on two aspects of this artwork.  The blue you see above the canvases represent the sky. The lighter blue rectangles represent clouds.  The brighter greens and browns you see below the canvasses represent different layers of the earth.

Finally, I do not think I have ever used the word “God,” in any of my artworks. For this music it made sense. My lovely wife, Barb, pointed out that the word ‘knows’ was harder to read than the other two words.  Like all my earlier artworks I have always used one color for all the lettering.  This became a contrast issue after coloring in of the word ‘God,’ on a darker blue-green background,  and then using the same light blue for the word ‘knows’ that is on a lighter green background.  But, when I than tried a darker color for the word ‘knows’,  that made that word too prominent for its use.   My solution was to use the same light blue for all the words. This than allowed the important words “God and You’ stand out while the lighter looking word ‘knows’ to still connect the phrase.   A result, in doing the words this way, is that people will first see the capitalized words ‘God’ and ‘You, and then be presented  with the choice to read, or not, the softer looking in between word ‘knows.’  All this adds complexity, and challenge for the viewer to define their own meaning of this artwork and the music it is portraying.

 

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H God only Knows image 1

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

God only knows is a Series artwork  that for now is 27 1/2 inches in length and just over 6 inches in height.  This is also a commissioned project from the 1966 Beach Boys album Pet Sounds. This song reached number twenty-five, and the album number two, on The Rolling Stone’s 500 greatest songs and 500 greatest albums of all time.

Today, was the first time that I actually listened to the entire album. No surprise that I enjoyed listening to the hits Sloop John B, Wouldn’t Be Nice and God Only Knows. As for the rest of the album the music reminded me that my appreciation of the Beach Boys was just that, the hits. Of course the hits where the only Beach Boys songs I heard growing up with the transistor radio.

This basic color scheme for this artwork comes form the Pet Sounds album, and a later Pet Sound Sessions commemorative release:


The color green does not dominate a lot of my artworks.  It is a color that I feel needs the support of other colors, mainly blue, to make it work.  That is why I was glad to see a nice pale blue used on both album covers.  I will build the music from that color.

Here is a new version of God only Knows, sung by Brian Wilson,  who wrote the music:

Finally, here is the original studio version song by Brian’s younger brother Carl Wilson:

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H Rondo Alla Turca First Image

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

This is a special project for an important event.  To start with this Artwork, of course, will build on the past, but already there are some big differences from recent works. This work is already six feet in length and the two end 6 inch by 8 inch canvases are all that I will be using.  Also, the distance between the canvases is incredible long and empty which will make for a lot of issues and needed problem solving.   Another first time feature is my use of printed decoration that I than attach to the canvases.

I realized while doing Vogue that many of the Art Deco designs I would like to reproduce on canvas would be extremely time-consuming and  difficult for me to hand paint.  Vogue took weeks to finish as it is. I chose than to go with simpler Art Deco designs,  for the reason that this art is about the music first and decoration is secondary.  Recently I found some nice Art Deco design files on-line,  and again they too have their limitations, but for now they will add a higher quality decorative look to this Mozart project.  The designs I print on Epson exhibition canvas using their archival inks.  I than coat the canvas with museum rated canvas varnish.  This makes me more comfortable with this option. That, and the expanding of my techniques, by continuing the art of modern collage created by Barque and Picasso, tells me I am good to go.

This first image of Rondo Alla Turca has the dimensions six feet in length by eight inches high.  I am creating this work specifically to be entered in the first juried exhibition at the new Confluence Art Center in Eau Claire.

Here is the interesting parts of the application:

My planed was to enter two artworks,  Vogue and this Mozart project until I read the application which stated a 60 inch artwork limit.  Vogue is 64 inches in length.  Than to my delight I read further about 3D artworks being accepted under 7 feet.  This Art is easily defined as sculptural, and since it is definitely three-dimensional, I think Vogue qualifies, and this Mozart project, will for sure, be just under 7 feet in length.

The Juror for this show is Dana Major who does “sculptural light installations and performative interactions……..,” so I find that interesting, and a small positive.  What I have figured out so far about guest art jurors is that this may limit the show promoters influence on who gets invited.  That also means that from year to year the quality and the making of the show can vary.  For this show  it is better that the Juror is from faraway Chicago, instead of locally.  The idea of a Big City Artist as the judge, may work to my benefit,  if she takes our local art seriously, and for me if she gets what this art is about.

The deadline for entry is June 18th and I will know by the end of July, if this local boy can nudge his way into limelight of this important first show at the Pablo Center at the Confluence.

Scott Von Holzen