Hearing Colors

Wassily Kandinsky

Wassily Kandinsky

• Synesthete• Abstract Expressionism• “Music is the ultimate teacher”• “The sound of colors is so definite that it

would be hard to find anyone who would express bright yellow with bass notes or dark lake with treble”

Composition V, Kandinsky, 1911

Composition VI, Kandinsky, 1913

Composition VII, Kandinsky, 1913

Composition VIII, Kandinsky, 1923

Composition IX, Kandinsky, 1936

Composition X, Kandinsky, 1939

How do you hear colors? If you aren’t a synesthete, here are some tips:

• When you listen to a sad song, what colors come to mind? What shapes? What kind of composition (i.e., busy, calm)?

• Yann Tiersen from Amelie:

• What about when the sad song has lyrics? How does that change the colors and shapes you imagine?

• Mad World by Gary Jules:

• When you listen to a happy song, what colors come to mind? What shapes? What kind of composition (i.e., busy, calm)?

• Hoppipolla by Sigur Ros:

• Do Watcha Wanna by Rebirth Brass Band:

• What about when the happy song has lyrics? How does that change the colors and shapes you imagine?

• At Last by Etta James:

• What about when it’s hard to tell if a song is happy or sad? What else can a song sound like?

• Loud Pipes by Ratatat:

• Listen to the layers of music, and identify a color and shape or line for each instrument or sound you can hear (there is not a right or wrong answer!).

• Mahna Mahna by Cake:

Kandinsky mostly painted to Classical music, that didn’t have lyrics…

• But just because the music didn’t have lyrics doesn’t mean it didn’t tell a story.

• Imagine a story for each of the following songs:

• Nikolai Rimsky- Korsakov: *Edvard Grieg

• Let’s go back to some of Kandinsky’s Compositions, and I want you to think about what the music he was trying to portray may have sounded like.

Assignment

• You will select a song of your choice, and as HOMEWORK, you will need to listen to it. A LOT!

• Make a list of colors, shapes, lines, etc. that come into your brain when you listen to it, and during class, you will arrange these into your own composition.

My Example: Watercolor and Oil Pastel. It’s a Beatles song, can you guess which one???