14″x18
Silk on linen with hemp and cotton thread and floss
The melody moves back and forth. Read left to right following the round-like repetition of the thin strings that zig-zag between black standards to “follow the path”.
Correlative Conjunctions “And, But & Not”
“AND”
“BUT”
“NOT”
Each of the three is 30×30”
Silk, cotton, poly ribbon, metallic and cotton thread and floss
As a synesthete, I recognize deep patterns in the spoken language. And, But and Not are conjunctions that join two or more thoughts. Each of these images has a vertical axis that divides the energy, the motion, and the action that I perceive in each of these three ordinary words used throughout our normal daily lives.
And
The two thoughts on either side of this word are often very much alike and connected. Girls AND boys. Cars AND trucks.
But
The thoughts connected by this word are often opposed or dissimilar. This piece uses two very different directions, energies and colors on each side of the axis. I love cold weather BUT want to go to the Caribbean .
Not
The left side is softly rounded while the right side is rectilinear. Round is not square. Elephants are NOT Donkeys.
Cross-modal perception in synaesthetes during Art and Music practices
International pianist and synesthete, Dr. Svetlana Rudenko, used my art, “And, But and Not”, as a basis and inspiration for her musical composition, and then as part of her research resulting in a paper she delivered last week at Trinity College Dublin Ireland.
“Cloud” Plasma Cut and Welded Sheet Steel
My sheet steel, plasma cut & welded 4 foot tall “CLOUD” sculpture has 15 coats of primer and gold paint and has moved into our front yard. Learning to use a plasma cutter and weld as someone in their 70’s makes me feel good about my ability to learn.
“Music In Curved Entrances” on display at the Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, NJ through June 2019
![51794119_10217547732221014_670694091419287552_n[1].jpg](https://gerihahn.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/51794119_10217547732221014_670694091419287552_n1.jpg?w=474)
“Music in Curved Entrances” is inspired by the music of minimalist composer Terry Riley from the 1970’s films, “Les Yeux Fermés & Lifespan”. My work is hand-sewn and embroidered fabric art, made in silk and linen with elements of shiny metallic floss and thread. The tactility, structure, and sheen of the fabric and thread form an integral part of how I “see” and engage with Riley’s looping phrases that tumble over each other. The touch of rough and smooth textures, the brightness of silks, the matte finish of linens, and the sparkle of metallic threads all reflect my synesthesia while satisfying my other senses as I work.
My hope is that this work allows the viewer to share the energy and joy I experience as I listen to music.
“AMERIQUES” by Edgard Varese
“Ameriques by Edgard Varese” 34″x40″ sewy based on the work of this French/American composer. His piece “Deserts” was the first avant-garde piece of music I ever fell in love with at age 20 and it changed the trajectory of my musical listening life. “Ameriques” is my synesthetic hand sewn response in silk over linen, with metallic and hemp floss and metallic and cotton thread.
If you want to listen, here it is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq8SKwi-ycE — in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey.
Come to my solo show December 1-31, 2018
