Synesthesia: Taste Pairings

As I mentioned in my January post, my art exhibit is opening at the Revelation Gallery, at St. John’s in the Village, on March 3. Fr. Graeme Napier had the brilliant idea of bringing a synesthesia component to the opening reception by inviting musicians to perform 1-minute compositions for each of the 14 works of art. I love this idea! I often see color when I listen to jazz music, and I think it will be wonderful to enhance the experience of the artwork by adding the element of music.

Magical Musicians

Quite magically, musicians appeared and volunteered to perform for free, anchored by my dear friend and beautiful singer-pianist-composer, Hannah Reimann. What had seemed like an unimaginable leap into a new realm of artistic expression happened almost effortlessly, thanks to Hannah’s generous offering of her time and connections. I lined up musicians for each piece, and then made arrangements to rent a projector so I could display a large form of the miniature artwork on the wall behind the piano for people to see while the musicians played.

How Does It Taste?

This got me thinking about the other senses—taste, smell, and touch. I wasn’t sure I’d have enough time to make arrangements for everything by March 3, but it seemed like everything was coming together beautifully, including printing a new piece to include in the exhibit, “Bruce’s Handbag”! (See the January post.)

So I looked at the list of artwork I had prepared for the musicians, and began sensing into the flavors of each piece. I came up with some ideas of what the images evoked, and then began phoning around the neighborhood to source the food and drink. Of course I had to cover the basics as well—wine and cheese, water! After assigning those to the appropriate pieces, there was room to really play. This is the result:

  longing

 

Hannah piano

Banana pudding

  night

Steve piano

Licorice allsorts

  paris

Steve

Cheese!

 mindfuck

Aeon harp & percussion

Red wine

  psyche

Aeon 3 voices

Electric Kool-Aid

  1820

Hannah

Whipped cream

 moonscape

Hannah

Silver star candies

  clarity

Steve

Water

  rain

Steve

Rootbeer

  bliss

Aeon 3 voices + strings

Jelly bellies

  nostalgia

Hannah & Steve duet

Blueberry port

  oddity

Steve

Colored marshmallows

  fade

Hannah

White wine

  l’ouevre

Hannah

Crème brûlée mini cupcakes

I hope you’ll be able to make it to the opening to hear, taste, and see for yourself.

P.S. There will be surprising opportunities for the senses of touch and smell, as well!

Shadow Play NYC – March 3 to 28 at Revelation Gallery

Shadow Play Exhibition Opening, Reception, and Music Performance

Karen Rempel in partnership with Saint John’s in the Village invites you to attend a wine and cheese reception, art opening, and musical performance.

Logistics

  • Revelation Gallery
  • Tuesday, March 3, 7 PM to 9 PM
  • 224 Waverly Place (Between W. 11th St & 7th Avenue)
  • 212-243-6192
  • Free, but registration required at Eventbrite

The music consists of 14 one-minute original compositions inspired by the Shadow Play artwork series. The music performance will begin at 8 PM.

About the Artwork

Shadow Play is a series of 14 miniatures exploring the connections between shadow, familiar forms, color, and emotion. The series was first exhibited at the Havana Art Gallery in Vancouver, BC. The second phase of the art project took stillness into motion, adding a multiplicity of personal responses to the art, and resulted in this video. The third phase of the project brings the music dimension of 14 original compositions in response to the art. The fourth phase of the project is you!

Consent to Be Photographed

The event will be photographed and filmed. By attending you grant permission for your photograph to be used in the fourth iteration of the art project.

Further Contemplation

What is the difference between substance and its shape? Is it an absence of light, a reflection of light? The shadow seems to reveal new potentials for the object. New possibilities, alternate realities. A hint of magic, hidden within the ordinary.

The Heart Sutra in Buddhism includes the statement “Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.” A shadow is empty, yet it has form. Perhaps a single shadow is a doorway into understanding deep universal truths.

Yet the creation of this series was a playful act, form arising spontaneously from emptiness, yet never really existing. From light and shadow waves to eye, electrons, neural circuits, to pixels and bytes to dots of ink on paper, the final result is a tiny form, reflecting the inconsequential temporariness and changing insubstantiality of a shadow on a living-room wall.

Exhibition Dates

The artwork will be on display in the Revelation Gallery from March 3 to 28. Gallery hours are:

  • Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 10 AM to 3 PM

About the Performers

An exciting lineup of talented musicians will be performing original compositions and improvisations in response to each piece of art. Each performance will be one minute long.