A new exhibition at Umbrella Studio contemporary art will elicit a crossover of senses by teaming a striking series of paintings with an immersive live music experience.
Songs is a collection of paintings by award-winning Melbourne-based artist David Sequeira that evoke an aesthetic of music without notation or literal representation of specific sounds.
David describes the paintings as coloured, geometric diagrams on music paper.
“I want the colours to operate like music, like chords of colours – vibrations if you like,” said David. –
“When certain colours and shapes are combined, there is resonance for me. And whilst I can’t hear it, I can certainly feel it.”
The layout of the installation is immediately striking. The series of paintings are arranged on music stands, as if belonging to an invisible orchestra.
“Normally people put two dimensional things on the wall” said David. “I want a little orchestration of colour.”
“I want a little orchestration of colour.”
The unmanned orchestra is ethereal yet inviting, coaxing the viewer to move through and experience each individual painting.
Songs will provide the physical setting for Invisible Realities – a live, immersive music performance as part of this year’s Australian Festival of Chamber Music (AFCM) program.
Invisible Realities invites musicians to respond to David’s vision regarding the interplay of geometry and sound. Players, including those from the Amiti String Quartet, will present an improvisational response to stimulus and guidance provided by David.
“Invisible Realities is part concert, part performance art and part meditation,” David explains.
“I don’t know exactly what is going to happen. That’s the nature of it.”
With music and visual art combined, those who frequent one discipline and not the other need not feel alienated. David assures all potential viewers that the only requisite to interacting with Songs and Invisible Realities is an open mind and curiosity.
Songs is presented by Umbrella Studio contemporary arts in partnership with NAFA, while Invisible Realities is a partnership with Umbrella Studio, AFCM and NAFA.
Invisible Realities will be performed on 2 August 2022.
Songs will be on exhibit until 21 August 2022.
