PAINTINGS + PIANO

The confluence of visual art and music

Three Bowen Island artists are collaborating in a colourful and lively exhibition, open from March 12 to 31. The show features paintings by Denise Pugash, Gregg Simpson, and live performances of original music composed by Nicole Thomas Zyczynski.

All three artists explore the interweaving of visual art and music. Gregg’s art is improvised, and expresses visually how sound and colour relate to create landscape forms. He credits his past career as a jazz drummer for his development as an artist: “I played a lot of improvised free jazz, which influenced my concept of abstraction.” His works are called Soundscapes. These are moving landscape forms, representing shapes of colour which create their own music.

Denise Pugash paints landscapes on Bowen Island and the south of France. “I see specific colours when I listen to music. I listen to the combinations of colours in a painting. I try to create a specific mood and emotional impact in a painting. The outcome may be harmonious or contain an unexpected clash. In music, discordance creates tension in a piece, and these moments of imperfection and resolution communicate emotion.”

Nicole, as a composer, writes and performs original music that is conceived by her innate response and interpretation of Denise’s paintings. “Denise’s paintings were a new inspiration for me. Each painting and its colours triggered in me a unique melody, motif, harmony, rhythmic pulse and mood. It has been a true delight to see how well the two parallel art forms marry and serve as inspiration to each other.”

During the exhibition, the artists will be present on selected days at the Hearth Gallery, and will provide interactive demonstrations of their collaboration.

To listen to Nicoles music that accompany the paintings, please click HERE

You are all invited to our artist pARTy, Saturday March 15th from 6 to 8 pm. Free for all.