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| Daniel Gall |
| music + art |
| Check out the latest from Synchromy, at www.synchromymusic.org |
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| All rights reserved. |
Art is a means to an identity.
When someone hears one of my pieces for the first time, their reaction is usually first one of
surprise. Perhaps they expected archaic "classical" music, or alienating "experimental" music,
depending on their musical background, but people often come to me and tell me, wow, I
really liked your piece, it wasn't what I expected.
The second time someone hears one of my pieces, their reaction is usually some kind of
observance of the technique that I use. They tell me, there is definitely a craft to my work, in
the way I shape my lines, and time my counterpoint, and in the pitch system or sound world
that I use. And sometimes, they will see right away that there is a connection or consistency
between this piece, and the piece they heard prior.
But by the third or fourth piece, the conclusion is made: This sounds like one of my pieces;
an artistic identity or personality is established. There is a technique to all of my work, a way I
have for producing my pieces. And each new piece is an expression of this technique. It isn't
really that I'm repeating myself. Or, on a certain level I suppose I am, but each new piece
represents a refining and expanding of my technique. It's really more like a process of
evolution, where each new piece informs the next, always striving for this abstract ideal. Until
I've reached a point where my pieces have a very specific style or personality, associated with
my technique, and that comes to identify me as an artist. What is important about my art is
not that I offer some new discovery, but that I have this unique personality or identity that
can be found through my work.
I find that aspects of my real personality inform the sense of abstract personality in my
work. For instance, if someone is familiar with my paintings, and my work as an artist, they
hear my music differently in this light. My identity becomes the "artist-composer," and they
see through this lens, drawing parallels in my music to my art. Similarly, the art of my
paintings is much greater than my abilities as a painter, because of my music. The
personality understood through my music, gives special meaning to my paintings. Other
aspects of my real personality help inform my work as well. The ideal audience is one of
friends and colleagues, who know me, and have a sense of my real personality. People who
know me will appreciate my music more, because they will make the association between my
pieces and my personality more easily, developing a sense of artistic personality based on the
real model they already have in mind.
When someone hears one of my pieces for the first time, their reaction is usually first one of
surprise. Perhaps they expected archaic "classical" music, or alienating "experimental" music,
depending on their musical background, but people often come to me and tell me, wow, I
really liked your piece, it wasn't what I expected.
The second time someone hears one of my pieces, their reaction is usually some kind of
observance of the technique that I use. They tell me, there is definitely a craft to my work, in
the way I shape my lines, and time my counterpoint, and in the pitch system or sound world
that I use. And sometimes, they will see right away that there is a connection or consistency
between this piece, and the piece they heard prior.
But by the third or fourth piece, the conclusion is made: This sounds like one of my pieces;
an artistic identity or personality is established. There is a technique to all of my work, a way I
have for producing my pieces. And each new piece is an expression of this technique. It isn't
really that I'm repeating myself. Or, on a certain level I suppose I am, but each new piece
represents a refining and expanding of my technique. It's really more like a process of
evolution, where each new piece informs the next, always striving for this abstract ideal. Until
I've reached a point where my pieces have a very specific style or personality, associated with
my technique, and that comes to identify me as an artist. What is important about my art is
not that I offer some new discovery, but that I have this unique personality or identity that
can be found through my work.
I find that aspects of my real personality inform the sense of abstract personality in my
work. For instance, if someone is familiar with my paintings, and my work as an artist, they
hear my music differently in this light. My identity becomes the "artist-composer," and they
see through this lens, drawing parallels in my music to my art. Similarly, the art of my
paintings is much greater than my abilities as a painter, because of my music. The
personality understood through my music, gives special meaning to my paintings. Other
aspects of my real personality help inform my work as well. The ideal audience is one of
friends and colleagues, who know me, and have a sense of my real personality. People who
know me will appreciate my music more, because they will make the association between my
pieces and my personality more easily, developing a sense of artistic personality based on the
real model they already have in mind.
12.22.11
The importance of a limited pallet
The importance of limiting our pallet of artistic ideas is often overlooked, as we so often
err in favor of expanding our pallet. But a limited pallet has more aesthetic value, as the
limitations by their very nature establish an identity for the piece. For example, a painting
that uses only shades of green will be understood as, "the green painting," whereas a
painting that uses a wide range of colors will have to identify itself in some other way. The
same can be said for the identity of an artist, as established through many pieces. The artist
who focuses on one technique or idea, will have a strong sense of identity, whereas an artist
who embraces a greater range of techniques and ideas will have more trouble establishing
who they are. We choose what we don't use just as deliberately as we choose what we use.
And an artistic identity is perhaps shaped more by our chosen limitations, than by those
techniques or ideas we have chosen to use. In a sense, we are what we're not. The green
painting is only green, but it is also not red, not blue, not gold, not black, etc. There is a lot
more that it isn't than it is. Perhaps the most aesthetic value comes from choosing what we
are not, and by purposefully shaping our chosen limitations. There is no need for red and
blue, I choose only green. And by doing so, I shape an artistic identity.
The importance of a limited pallet
The importance of limiting our pallet of artistic ideas is often overlooked, as we so often
err in favor of expanding our pallet. But a limited pallet has more aesthetic value, as the
limitations by their very nature establish an identity for the piece. For example, a painting
that uses only shades of green will be understood as, "the green painting," whereas a
painting that uses a wide range of colors will have to identify itself in some other way. The
same can be said for the identity of an artist, as established through many pieces. The artist
who focuses on one technique or idea, will have a strong sense of identity, whereas an artist
who embraces a greater range of techniques and ideas will have more trouble establishing
who they are. We choose what we don't use just as deliberately as we choose what we use.
And an artistic identity is perhaps shaped more by our chosen limitations, than by those
techniques or ideas we have chosen to use. In a sense, we are what we're not. The green
painting is only green, but it is also not red, not blue, not gold, not black, etc. There is a lot
more that it isn't than it is. Perhaps the most aesthetic value comes from choosing what we
are not, and by purposefully shaping our chosen limitations. There is no need for red and
blue, I choose only green. And by doing so, I shape an artistic identity.