Tag: ART

S_V_H The Theme (Schindler’s List) image 2 & 3

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

This is the first of its kind frame for The Theme from Schindler’s List.  Even though this artwork is larger than the last two artworks, I can still carry it in the Toyota RAV4.  I have solved the car space limitations by building this frame in which I can disconnect the bottom section.  Although these two-piece frame does lay flat in the car, the music, when added, will not.  This idea of a frame consisting of separate sections allows me to build larger artworks that have a greater impact on the viewer but still can be delivered for an exhibition.

Also yes, this third image does look overly busy, or is the word “busy” a reference to the music? No, matter,” it is what it is,” an artwork in motion.   The look of clutter is deliberate.  I placed the music to cross over into each others space.  This creates added tension. This artwork, unlike all of the previous artworks, breaks one of the last rules of notation left to be broken: keeping the music separated.

I still have lots of other decorative music features to add to this artwork so the look of this music will change considerably.

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H The Theme (Schindler’s List)

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

This, of course, is not much of a first image, but this is how the artworks in 2019 have looked after two weeks worth of work.  2019 has already been, one of my most creative years. In the image, in the background is the artwork, Africa,  the first completed artwork of 2019.  Then next came the artwork Giant Steps, followed by Over the Rainbow.   In comparison,  Africa, although unique in its rectangle shape,  continues the style that dominated 2018.   With the Theme music from Schindler’s List, I have a plan that includes a challenging technique, that if it works, will greatly add to the already wonderful progress of 2019’s Giant Steps and Rainbow.

Here is a very dated video of Itzhak Perlman, discussing and then playing John Williams Schindler’s List:

In choosing this music to paint,  the movie, Schindler’s List was never played into the decision-making. I liked this music the first time I heard it, going in all the way by the ending.  Those type of feelings has always been the major reason I pick a piece of music to paint.   Of course, there are those other factors to discover that confirm the choice.  That information comes from researching the music I paint, which I do with all my artworks.  I also listen to performances,  watch videos of the music, and read the story behind the music.  Well, there is a big story behind this music and that is the movie Schindler’s List.  The movie and The Theme are forever attached.  Watching again, this time, parts from Schindler’s List, I decided that the dominate colors for this project would be black and white with shades of gray.  Another take from Schindler’s List comes from those remarkable scenes of the girl in the red coat.  My plan is to use a small amount of red in this artwork, to acknowledge this heart-felt part from the movie.

Here is an available clip of the girl in the red coat from the movie Schindler’s List:

 

The artwork Africa appears in this first image for it is back in my studio.  I am doing a little touch-up and preparing it for the exhibition.

Here, just lately,  is my artwork Africa standing against the wall on second floor of the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library.  It is in line to be hung for the upcoming 40th Anniversary of the juror-ed Arts West exhibition.

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H Over the Rainbow 2019 Final image

Published on by Scott Von Holzen
Over the Rainbow L57.75 ” x H39″ x D3.5

Over the Rainbow 2019 is finished.  Rainbow painted in the style of Giant Steps has that improvisational look that originally I thought would only work with Jazz artworks such as Giant Steps and So What.  Rainbow shows that this jazzy more relaxed style of the music does adapt to the ballad,  and will probably work with other music genres, including Classical.  Another benefit of the music styled more casually, is that this than solves a longtime issue, of how to portray motion in a static artwork.

Over the years I have tried different ways to simulate motion in the artworks.  I even researched motion that was important to the art and social movement Futurism.   Good examples of my best earlier attempt at motion can be seen in a number of the Vivaldi Four Season’s artworks.

Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons Autumn Allegro. Length 15 feet.

For the Vivaldi Artwork Autumn to try to simulate motion I added a smaller circle inside the larger musical circle.  The illusion I wanted was that of a spinning ball inside the larger circle moving clockwise across the artwork.  The results were always mixed.  Other examples of this technique can be found in artworks from 2012 until 2015 when I finally abandon the idea with the switch to raised wood for the music.

As mentioned before the idea to allow the music to go off vertical comes from the artwork Blue Poles by Jackson Pollock.   An interesting critique of this artwork comes from the site jackson-pollock.com. “According to art historian Dennis Phillips,……… Because we look for the poles and miss much of the rest, the name is simply too distracting.”  Phillips is right for  I saw the poles as musical notes and the background as just that.  That is probably why there are no other mentioned Pollock’s with similar poles.

http://www.jackson-pollock.org

In summary, there are two big changes that occurred in Rainbow and earlier in Giant Steps.  The first is that I have moved away from longer than wider artworks, that were standard since the beginnings of this art, to a more squared look with the music now stacked in sections.   A practical reason for this move is the difficulty in storing these long delicate, with multiple parts, artworks.   Actually, no matter their length, my artworks these last few years, I have found,  can only be stored safely when laid down.  The other even bigger change, that also goes back to the beginnings of this art, was to drop the consistent upright stance of the music which, of course, resulted in making these new artworks look less static.

One troubling issue that lingers still, and affected Rainbow, was how to paint or not paint the canvases. There was even a moment that I thought about leaving them all white (my Robert Ryman moment).  Rainbow is just the latest artwork where I have questioned what purpose the canvases served, besides support for the music.   I escaped back to reality by deciding to paint only the two center canvases in an outer space type Rothko look.  I then added a variety of canvas-covered round wood pieces (I like circles having nothing to do with the music for their disruptive effect) for interest, and to connect the painted canvases to the other four covered by canvas prints.

Finally, I should mention the blue piece of wood with a relaxed handwritten word, why, repeated five times.  For this version of Over the Rainbow, instead of choosing Judy Garland’s version of the music, I chose Keith Jarrett’s jazzier performance and stunning ending. This artwork’s music is “If happy little blue-birds fly beyond the rain-bow why oh why can’t I?” These words are all sung by Judy Garland without any slow down until she sings the last word I.  All those extra whys is because of Keith Jarrett performance of those same last few notes,  where he slows down dramatically, drawn each note out.  On the first why he almost seems to pause.  At that first why is where I decided to add the extra whys, for fun, and to channel a tribute to Jean Michael Basquiat, and his painting that includes five Moses.

I am still planning on adding the red music button for the music to Over the Rainbow.  When I am finished I will post a video.

Scott Von Holzen