Month: April 2024

Hoffmann and Naumann trace the roots of artist-musicians back to figures like Leonardo da Vinci, establishing a long-standing tradition of interdisciplinary genius that challenges the modern compartmentalization of artistic professions. This historical lens invites a contemplation on the essence of creativity itself—is it not the spirit of inquiry and boundless exploration that defines true artistry, irrespective of medium? The concept of the “all-round artist” resonates with my understanding of art as a fluid expression of human experience, unbounded by rigid categorizations. It prompts one to consider how contemporary artists might draw upon this tradition to navigate and transcend the increasingly blurred lines between disciplines.

The move towards abstraction in both art and music reflects a shift from representational to conceptual modes of expression. The authors highlight the role of abstraction in fostering a form of universal communication:

“The main focus of modernist art was therefore on the basic elements (color forms tones etc.) and the basic conditions (manner and place of presentation) of artistic production.”​​ So the question arises, in what ways does the abstraction in music influence the abstraction in visual arts, and vice versa?

The exploration of synesthesia and the case studies of Kandinsky and Schoenberg exemplify the profound interplay between seeing and hearing, revealing how artists and musicians have sought to create immersive and multisensory experiences. This intersection fascinates me, as it encapsulates the quest for a holistic artistic expression that engages all senses, thereby amplifying the impact and reach of the artwork.

The role of art schools in fostering interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary work underscores the importance of educational environments in shaping the artists of the future. As someone who values the transformative power of education, I see art schools as crucial incubators for challenging traditional boundaries and nurturing the next generation of artist-musicians. This prompts further reflection on how curricula and institutional structures might evolve to better support this cross-pollination of ideas and techniques.

In conclusion, I believe Hoffmann and Naumann’s work encourages us to reconsider the fluid boundaries between artistic disciplines, urging a deeper appreciation for the complex dialogues that have shaped the evolution of art and music.

With an increasing push to opt for specialization in the current economic environment, Artist-Musicians, Musician-Artists by Justin Hoffmann, Sandra Naumann serves to be a calming point for my anxieties. The text served as a great and compact overview of multidisciplinary traditions spanning from the 20th century to early 21st century. Enamored by their descriptions for both artists I had heard about and hadn’t, I was prompted to check out a lot of these pieces while reading. Their highlighting of fashion icons like Vivienne Westwood and club spaces in LES were of particular interest to me, as I had been exploring intersections of fashion and club spaces with media arts in my writings at university over the last few years. The multi-modality of our major, Interactive Media, had always seemed a given to me since I had been engaging with various forms of media together even before I started this degree. The nature of this rabbit hole had always seemed a natural path, as starting out with music led me to start making album covers which led me to start making music videos, and this sequence kept building up till I ended up with video games, installations, websites or short films. However, realizing that this amorphousness of mediums is a relatively new turn of events which was spearheaded by experimental practitioners, I have gained a new appreciation and understanding of the depth of our medium

It was interesting to see the background / history of how the definition or range of art and music were pushed further. I think the part that stood out most to me was the turning point where art schools provided the environment in which students could try new things, becoming “the point of origin for interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary work.”

It’s also interesting to see how pop started, with “the principle that a good punk song only needed three chords applied just as much as the do-it-yourself attitude.” I think this is a mindset that still prevails, even in our course right now. It’s noteworthy that the combination of a good environment and a shift in people’s perspectives opened the field to new definitions of musicians and artists, and what they could do.

In this essay, the authors discuss the mutual influences between art and music and interdisciplinary artist-musicians (or musician-artists). The writing covers the brief history of modern art from the early 20th-century paintings to the latest computer art with relevant musical movements. It was interesting how music and musical movements have influenced fine art by providing new languages and opening up new possibilities. The authors also consider the social aspects by discussing some musicians who studied at art school and artists who produced works in art and music. Thus, the art school could become a hub for both musicians and artists in diverse mediums. I agree that there is a deep connection between the media art and music in its nature. Especially, as the cultural impact of music is significant, I think the musical influences are in the foundation of various domains, including visual art.

Live Coding, tidal cycles to be specific, is a series of algorithms made to manipulate a series of sounds for us to listen to. It is interesting, however, that if we look at the numbers being manipulated we will see, as humans, a drawing like a textile that we cannot read.

computational algorithms and patterns culturally situated in textiles, music, and dance seem closely related

A pattern is a textile we stitch, a table we set, an algorithm we loop through even an etiquette we learn. Hence the relationship between algorithms, patterns, and music may be something we have long realized, like many other algorithms we use today. It is interesting, however, to relate and compare those patterns together. Following patterns of a stitched rug, replacing, maybe colors with notes? swapping between the 2 mediums is a beautiful revelation, especially when connected with live coding, and creating on the go; you can change your carpet design at any moment you wish.

Looking away from the binary algorithmic representation of how things work, bringing in the “what if”. Live coding will bring a what-if question with every new line you will begin to question, doubt, or not like 100%. There is always a better version, a different wave pattern, a frequency, or an order that will work, so what if this algorithmic manipulation works better, what if this order of notes (or colors in the rug) works better. What if it also works better now but never will work again, at least in the same way.

The save button is not a familiar concept for a live coder. It is scary writing something you cannot save. It is even more scary knowing a well-practiced performance piece will never be played the same way twice. Recordings are like drawing on a plate and hanging it, while live coding is like smashing it to let out all the pent-up energy. It is scary sometimes, but that is an artistic scary that comes with knowledge. You threw away your plate, but the next one will look better because you learned something today. Your code is not meant to be saved, but u do learn, remember, and keep experiences and memories alive, even if u have no digital 1s and 0s to show for proof.

The reading reminded me of Allan Kaprow’s Happenings because it seems like multimedia artists focus more on the overall experience of an art piece rather than perfecting individual elements. In engaging multiple senses through a variety of artistic mediums, the end result can be more engaging and pull in the person experiencing the piece. I also see this reflected in Live Coding as we use both audio and visuals to create an all-encompassing experience, with the improvisational nature of the Live Coding medium moving our notion of what an art piece is away from a perfected sequence of events to a more holistic experience. I hope to keep making my Live Coding pieces through this high-level view, focusing on the person’s overall experience of the performance.

This passage mentioned the blurring between the artist and the musician. The author takes the reader through multiple examples which engage with the crossroads of different media as a form of art. It commends people who’ve become “Media Transgressors” by integrating multiple disciplines in their art, and mentions the importance of the Fluxus movement in all of this. The Fluxus movement – experimental pieces focusing on the artistic process rather than the finished product – seems fascinating to me. Especially since I was educated in a time where the lines between disciplines in the arts are already blurred. These media transgression examples remind me a lot of what we do in Interactive Media and Live Coding. On an initial level, we are working in the intersection between music and coding. This practice inherently challenges what music is (as we’ve seen by previous reading grappling with music as a series of patterns or not…), and does so by integrating a completely different discipline. On a second level, all of us come from different backgrounds, and bring in something different into our performances. In some way, could one claim that we are also making small transgressions with our experimental pieces? Irrespective of this, the reading mentioned one of my favorite pieces, the Intonarumori by Luigi Russolo Corale. This artworks, set of instruments, was revolutionary for experimental music. It has a very interesting aesthetic and an even richer sound. Here is a video, so you can see/hear it as well.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=BYPXAo1cOA4 This, I believe, is an incredible example of how artists challenge what music is. What happens when musicians use non-musical sounds? I am further interested in finding the parallels between some of Russolo’s sounds and some of modern electronic music. The reader also mentioned the interaction between club culture and art, and how they both influence each other. Can you also hear how some samples may come from this? Overall, I find this reading to be very interesting and useful in providing us with a lot of examples of transformational artworks that push the boundaries of art and music.