Tag: Music

S_V_H Body and Soul image2&3

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

Body and Soul 3 panels 30 inches by 104 inches.   These backgrounds, it would be nice to see them eventually evolve were they could stand on their own as contemporary art. The original, yes, from the beginning,  style of the backgrounds was inspired by the art Mark Rothko.  Take a look at the first painting, Mozart Piano Concerto No. 21 at the website and it is obvious, that Rothko doing his part to make this art work.  Of course, over time the desire to find a more unique background style that would better root the music evolved, in a look that floated the music across the canvas.  View the yellow and orange painting, Hey Jude or the Yellow California Dreamin‘  from 2007,  for two good examples.

Listening to Godsmack – Awake

The problem with this style that became obvious was that the music appeared to be disconnected entirely from the background. Only the use of color was holding the canvas together.   The solution was to bring back bands of colors.  You can see an example of a return to a post Rothko look, with the music High Hopes, a favorite still. This updated technique brought back the idea to use a part of sheet music which is the Staff or Stave ( a grid made up of five horizontal bands). What results on those canvases are imaginative bands of narrow rectangle shapes of many different colors,  that have no other purpose then to push the music across the canvas, to create interest,  and to unite entire work.  Those bands of colors are what you see today in Body.  From that, and onward, there still is a hope to find, one day, a way to finish these backgrounds that lets them stand alone as original works of art.

Listening to Bread – Aubrey.  Maybe this is a corny song, but for some reason, it is liked, and it felt.  Who knows, maybe there was once an Aubrey or someone, one time a long time ago, that aroused a memory of that music.  The remembered long ago lost love?  Such as it is, it lives on forever, no matter how many facts are forgotten.

I love Joe Cocker – and his wonderful You Can Leave Your Hat on from the movie 91/2 Weeks.

Bottom line is this background was resembling Hallelujah’s and it needed something to break it away, which is where those two medium magenta lines come from. But, I have seen magenta lines, like this before, so what else, if anything can be done, to push this background to somewhere else?

Chopin Etude In E, Op.10 No.3  and artwork and a most wonderful piece of music.

Hours later we have Madonna singing Jump.

Above is the 2nd edition of the final background image before applying the music.  It is now time to move on, with other changes to this background occurring till after the music has been applied. Those differences from image two where necessary to separate this artwork form the larger and strong Hallelujah background. This canvas now has its own identity.  Every work strives for that. It is time to see if the music can actually be made to fit.

Listening to This is How A Heart Breaks – Rob Thomas

Listening to Marvin Gaye – Sexual Healing

Finishing this blog listening to Early Mornin’ Rain – Peter, Paul & Mary

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H Body and Soul image1

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

Body and Soul 3 panels 30 inches by 104 inches.  No, this is not Vivaldi, or the rare Country music painting that were both next on a made up list.  The timing was not right for those works.  The Vivaldi music flow was the first choice, but it was feared that it would require 3 panels 36 inches by 18 feet to fit it all in.  As usual, there was no time spent preparing for the next work, so none of the needed canvases had been prep, or put together. Then, just like that Heart was done. Luckily, remembering that there where these three other canvases all ready prepped, and needing only to be bolted together, the gears shifted to look for other music.

Since this canvas is larger, the Country music choice was  ruled out, and of course, since this was not a large enough canvas, the Vivaldi was out. So, began the much dreaded ritual of flipping through music books. But the first one grabbed happened to be a new music book just purchased of Jazz Standards. Just like that the song Body and Soul stood out, and made me think.

A few weeks back I saw the video of Tony Bennett singing Body and Soul with Amy Winehouse. But, it did not hit home how great of voice she had until listening to the entire Duets II album by Tony Bennett.  Besides, the fine tracks with Aretha Franklin, and a cute and playful, Lady Gaga (especially when viewing the video),  Amy Winehouse’s voice stood apart from every other track.

Here is a YouTube link that requires the viewer to suffer through a terrible commercial.  Body and Soul may survive a hundred years from now. With that thought, this musical choice became surprisingly simple.  Then when it could fit, barely, on this size canvas, that also made the decision easier.   That is how it works.  Music is sometimes chosen by coincidence or simple circumstances.  But what actually closed, this choice, had to do with the emotional sense of loss of such a great voice, now, and in the future.

The colors, are going to be, obviously a lot of different blues, purples, and maybe some violets, as a start.  Colors lead to colors, so we will see what surprises we are in for.

Listening to U2- In The Name Love

Scott von Holzen

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S_V_H Heart Of the Matter final image

Published on by Scott Von Holzen

Heart of the Matter, 3 panels 36 inches by 104 inches is finished.  This is a strong painting in that it is in places rough and sketchy which contrasts with the soft, smooth, sharp, and precise areas of this work.   It is those such differences that are all of us and in all of us, and also in this canvas, that captures this music.

Listening to Wait A Million Years – The Grass Roots.

Here is the list of the different artist’s versions of  The Heart of the Matter that where listen to every night sometimes in a continuous play:

Cuppa Joe, Gwen Sebastian, The Harvard Opportunes, Idia.Aire, Roger Kardinal, Something Borrowed Something Blue, and two version by Don Henley, the album, and a live version that was the standard for this music.  Here is the YouTube link, performed live in 1994, so you can understand where this art is coming from.

The major first impression a viewer will have is how this music flies across this canvas.  This work, along with More than you Know, have accelerated that push from left to right.  Moving the music across the canvas has all ways been the major goal of this art.  What separates this art, from most abstractions of music, is that directional movement, that is consistent with the music, itself.

Listening to Domino – Van Morrison.

The take for this work:  The use of the one word is perfect for this music.  The Tie, seen on the very lower left, is beautiful and works beyond expectations.  The background, maybe still could be painted to better unite the work.  Then again, maybe not, for there was a lot of that done with this work to accomplish that point. So, maybe enough is enough, and this is all Heart wanted, or needed.  A concern also is with that one musical representation that is that very magenta or so note on the left of the image above. The question is whether this works or not.

The other objects, do work, and they are seen as the style to lead the way into the next work.  Sometimes it is hard to change what has become of a painting. Each of these artwork soon develop their identity, their own momentum, and when you have an artwork that has nothing to compare it to, you just finally except what is in front of you, and move on.

Such as it is with life.

The next work, started, is Body and Soul, with an explanation of why soon to follow.

Finally, there is The Black Crowes – She Talks to Angels, Chopin Valse Op.64 No.2, and Fragile by Sting.
Scott Von Holzen