In my Conceptual Design class , we recently directed our attention to recognizing the connection that lies between all different types of art. All art requires passion, emotion, and thought. A strong example of this connection can be found between music and visual arts. We can create this connection though analogies, notes become color, volume translates to intensity, and shapes/textures equate to sound expression or styles. Both the musician and visual artist create compositional structures that ensure harmony amongst the formal elements they implement, establish rhythms within the piece, and create a mood.

The success of both music and visual art can be determined by how successful the piece was in creating an experience for the audience that evokes a response and challenges their perceptions. Art dabbles in the spectrum of the human experience, from the simple, the ugly, the bright, and the dark. So while all of the arts vary in their subject matters because of their differences in media, they are alike in their basic goal.

For this Music Analogy project, we were tasked with providing an accurate visual interpretation of a musical experience through the visual arts.

The song I chose for this piece was a cover of Mozart’s Lacrimosa. I chose this piece for the dramatic, sinister, and powerful experience that it presented.

To start I knew I wanted a lot of contrast between my choice of colors, so for the main colors I chose red and black. Red and black are a more sinister and dark combination in my mind which I thought paired nicely with the song. Additionally, I supported the red with oranges and yellows to add more depth/interest to the piece. From there I broke the song down into the different components to which I assigned shapes and colors. Lacrimosa overall is an incredibly layered and explosive piece and I wanted my work to reflect that. I used lines and experimented with their variation to help convey movement and better represent the aspects of the song that move in and out throughout the piece.

Overall I really enjoyed creating this piece, it was really interesting to look at the music more closely and I hold so much respect for composers and musicians. I could so clearly hear the passion in the piece from the artist, their use of detail and precision to create a harmonious and beautiful work. And I hope I was able to transfer that emotion and mix it with a bit of my passion to create a piece that accurately reflected the music.

I hope you all had a great holiday season and wishing everyone a happy new year!

Thanks for reading!
Emma <3