A composition inspired by Caspar David Friedrich’s piece The Monk by the Sea (1808-1810), and is the first piece within the Sound on Canvas series. This piece is composed vastly of sound effects, placing the listener along side the sea as though they are the monk observing and walking along the shore. Very faint bass drum hits represent a fast, impending storm that is building, until the final hit indicates it’s sudden presence to the listener. 


The Monk by the Sea

A composition inspired by James Abbot Whistler's painting, Nocturne in Black and Gold (1875), and is the third installment of Sound on Canvas. The painting itself depicts a fireworks display over London's Cremorne Gardens. Within my composition I wanted to convey not only the bright splashes of color, but also the dark, shadowed hues of the paintings composition. 

The darker hues are represented by low frequency loops of ambient noise, accompanied wind sound effects to create a sense of surrounding atmosphere. While the bright splashes of color, or the fireworks, are represented by a single low boom followed by a short drum loop to represent a rhythmic explosion of rockets. Each drum loop is than followed by a high pitched whistle, illustrating the resulting sound a rocket makes after it has been fired and exploded. 

Lastly, the piece is underscored by a synthesized choir that is meant to provide a counter-balance to the darker tones of the piece, by providing a sense of wonder and excitement felt by a spectator viewing the visually aesthetic show. 

Nocturne In Black And Gold

Aural Canvas Vol.1: Ambient Fields was an installation of eight paintings re-contextualized through the use of sound design and music. Rather than assessing the artwork for just their visual aesthetics, the exhibit’s immersive soundscape encouraged visitors to not only reassess the displayed artwork from a new angle. But leave with a consideration of how other forms of art can be recontextualized with sound and music.

The paintings chosen for this installation followed a general theme related to fields. In addition, the paintings are set in a linear timeline: beginning with Dawn, through mid-day, and ending with nightfall – before cycling through the sequence once again on a loop. 

My process for choosing the selected works was primarily based upon color and hue selection, in order to achieve the desired visual of linear time. I particularly welcomed the idea of paintings from different time periods and art movements, as it allowed for a wider and more abstract approach to different paintings - without being constrained to a single, ideal form. 

Each compositions arrangement is composed with the use of synthesizers and pulled sound effects. One of my main goals was to provide a sense of grounding, or realism, within the paintings. In many instances the sound effects are subtle, such as; bird calls, gently wind blowing, or crickets. While others are take on a more distinct role within their respective soundscapes.    


Fireflies

The Blue Rider

VStack