VC Projects is pleased to announce that the multi-sensory experience, "The Sounds of Color," will be hosted at the Scala Contarini del Bovolo museum in Venice, Italy. This event is integral to the solo exhibition, "Shane Guffogg: At the Still Point of the Turning World - Strangers of Time," presented by Patrick Carpentier, in collaboration with the Museum of Art and History, Lancaster. The exhibition is co-curated by Pier Paolo Scelsi and Andi Campognone.
Engage in an immersive musical performance inspired by the featured paintings of globally recognized artist Shane Guffogg, accompanied by renowned pianist Anthony Cardella and acclaimed AI developer Jonah Lynch. "The Sounds of Color" represents a distinctive fusion of visual and auditory experiences, establishing a ground breaking collaboration that converges the realms of abstract art, music, and AI.
Thursday, April 17th
6pm
Scala Contarini del Bovolo
S. Marco 4303, 30124 Venezia VE
Italy
Shane Guffogg (photo credit: Sonia Huckabay)
ABOVE: INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED ARTIST SHANE GUFFOGG
BELOW: PAINTING: “AT THE STILL POINT OF THE TURNING WORLD - ONLY THROUGH TIME IS TIME CONQUERED” OIL ON CANVAS BY GUFFOGG
“THE SOUNDS OF COLOR” VENICE, ITALY - UNVEILS A WORLD PREMIERE FEATURING A MUSICAL SCORE DERIVED FROM THE ARTIST’S MOVEMENTS DURING CREATION, A HARMONIC SCALE INSPIRED BY GUFFOGG’S SYNESTHESIA, AND CUSTOM AI SOFTWARE DESIGNED TO INTERPRET THE PAINTING AND GENERATE A MUSICAL SCORE. THE SCORE WILL BE PERFORMED LIVE BY A RENOWNED PIANIST, PROVIDING A UNIQUE INTERPRETATION TO THE AUDIENCE.
Guffogg’s “At the Still Point of the Turning World - Only Through Time is Time Conquered”, oil on canvas will for the first time be heard during the world preimere performed on April 17th at 6 pm at Scala Contarini del Bovolo, Venice, Italy
SCALA CONTARINI DEL BOVOLO MUSEUM, PHOTO CREDIT: VICTORIA CHAPMAN
JACOPO TINTORETTO, PARADISE, (CA. 1588 – OIL ON CANVAS, CM 154 X 350 ) PHOTO CREDIT: COURTESY OF GIOIELLI NASCOSTI DI VENEZIA
“Jacopo Tintoretto’s 1388 oil-on-canvas painting, “Paradise,” measuring 154 x 380cm, is prominently displayed at the Scala Contarini del Bovolo in Venice, Italy. It serves as a focal point in dialogue with Guffogg’s “At the Still Point of the Turning World - Strangers of Time” exhibition. Moved by the profound influence of Tintoretto’s work, Guffogg decided to create site-specific pieces at Scala Contarini del Bovolo. Following thorough contemplation, he opted to harmonize his color palette with that of Tintoretto’s masterpiece, a decision that successfully supports the cohesive theme of his upcoming exhibition at the same venue.”
GUFFOGG’S “ONLY THROUGH TIME IS TIME CONQUERED” AND TINTORETTO’S “PARADISE” NEAR BY
Shane Guffogg, the artist, divulges the intricacies of his painting process, detailing the layers of paint and unraveling the realization of the color and harmonic scale within his work.
In the initial layer of Guffogg's painting, a foundation is laid, and it is noteworthy that the artwork encompasses more than one hundred subsequent layers of paint.
FROM THE FIRST LAYER OF THE PAINTING, GUFFOGG AND CARDELLA DESIGNATE COLOR TO MUSICAL/NOTES - CHORDS BASED ON GUFFOGG’S SYNESTHESIA
In the second layer, Guffogg meticulously applies each stroke by hand, engaging in a deep and meditative thought process as he continues to build upon the canvas.
IN THE SECOND LAYER OF THE PAINTING, GUFFOGG AND CARDELLA CONTINUE TO ASSIGN COLORS TO MUSICAL NOTES AND CHORDS, DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM GUFFOGG’S SYNESTHESIA.
This marks the third and concluding layer of Guffogg's painting, titled "At the Still Point of the Turning World - Only Through Time is Time Conquered," executed in oil on canvas.
IN THE THIRD LAYER OF THE PAINTING, GUFFOGG AND CARDELLA DESIGNATE COLOR TO MUSICAL/NOTES - CHORDS BASED ON GUFFOGG’S SYNESTHESIA
“The performance, set within the historical walls of the exhibition at Scala Contarini del Bovolo, provides attendees the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in a combined visual and auditory experience. Witness the paintings on display, which not only served as inspiration for the music but are also integral to the current exhibition titled “At the Still Point of the Turning World - Strangers of Time.” This event assures a harmonious celebration of the intersection between art, technology, and the senses.”
“THE MUSICAL EXPERIENCE” SHOWN BELOW FROM ANOTHER PROJECT AND SELECTION OF PAINTINGS - SHOWCASES THE OUTCOME OF GUFFOGG’S ARTISTIC PROCESS WITH CARDELLA AND LYNCH
This video encapsulates a poignant moment as Shane Guffogg encounters, for the first time, the music generated from the intricate layers of his artistic process. Guffogg, diagnosed with synesthesia—a condition where the brain processes sensory information through multiple unrelated senses, enabling him to experience more than one sense simultaneously—associates colors with sounds. The painting, "At the Still Point of the Turning World - Words Move, Music Moves," springs to life through a distinctive synthesis of Guffogg's movements, color recognition, chord assignment, artificial intelligence, and Anthony Cardella's interpretative musical score.
The amalgamation of art and technology, translating the visual journey of the painting into a musical composition, stands as a testament to the innovative possibilities emerging at the intersection of creativity and artificial intelligence. Guffogg's reaction to hearing the music mirrors the awe and wonder of witnessing the transformation of visual expression into an auditory masterpiece.
“At the Still Point of the Turning World - Words Move, Music Moves”, 2021, oil on canvas, 78 x 108 inches
Painting by Shane Guffogg, Music Composition and performance by ANTHONY CARDELLA, AI development Jonah Lynch, and Video and AR development by Brayden Baguzzi
“In the past year, Guffogg and Cardella embarked on a journey to translate the colors in Guffogg’s paintings into musical notes. Guffogg shares, “When the right notes are played, the colors visually vibrate. That is when I know it is the correct sound for the color.” This initial mapping of sound serves as the foundation for an innovative exploration.”
Advancing this exploration, Guffogg collaborated with AI software programmer Jonah Lynch to integrate artificial intelligence into the creative process. During Lynch's visit to Guffogg's ranch in the summer of 2023, he extensively studied videos showcasing Guffogg's painting techniques. Drawing from these observations, Lynch developed a program enabling the AI to replicate Guffogg's brushstrokes, delineate the colors on the canvas, and correlate them with musical notes.
The outcome? A captivating array of beautiful and astonishing new musical compositions.
PROCESS: ARTIST SHANE GUFFOGG AND PIANIST TONY CARDELLA INITIATE BY FORMULATING A HARMONIC SCALE DERIVED FROM GUFFOGG’S SYNESTHESIA. SUBSEQUENTLY, AI DEVELOPER JONAH LYNCH AGGREGATES DATA FROM GUFFOGG’S PAINTINGS TO CRAFT A TAILORED AI PROGRAM DESIGNED TO INTERPRET THE ARTIST’S WORKS.
EXAMPLE: AI DEVELOPER JONAH LYNCH ILLUSTRATES HIS APPROACH BY DETAILING THE PROCESS OF ACQUIRING INFORMATION FROM SHANE GUFFOGG'S PAINTINGS.
Above (click on the image to view): AI developer Jonah Lynch presents a video detailing his work on "Cannac #2."
In Shane Guffogg's "Cannac #2," painted in 2001 with oil on canvas measuring 96 x 78 inches, a unique musical score accompanies the artwork. Jonah Lynch meticulously tracked and crafted a specialized AI software to generate this musical score. Anthony Cardella, the pianist, subsequently interpreted and performed the music, completing the integration of visual and auditory elements in this artistic collaboration.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS/CREATORS
SHANE GUFFOGG
My work looks through the lens of humanity at civilizations, both past and present, and views time as threads that connect all people. My visual language is informed by the spiritualism of abstraction and the realism of the old masters. These two ideas are usually seen as separate but for me, they fuse to transcend, creating moments that become testaments to thoughts that inform us of who we are in the 21st century.
Shane Guffogg was born in Los Angeles, California and raised on an exotic bird farm in the San Joaquin Valley. His interest in painting began at an early age and by his late teens, he traveled to Europe to see the works of Leonardo d Vinci, Rembrandt and Caravaggio in person, absorbing their techniques, and recognizing them not only as great artists, but alchemists. Upon his return from Europe, painting became his full-time obsession as he appropriated styles of artists from the past 500 years to learn and understand not only their techniques, but their reasons for translating their world through art. Guffogg received his B.F.A. from Cal Arts in 1986, and during his studies he interned in New York City. In 1989, Guffogg went to the Soviet Union on an international peace walk, which became the catalyst for the collapse of the Berlin wall.
Guffogg relocated to Los Angeles, where he lived in Venice Beach and worked as a Studio Assistant to Ed Ruscha from 1989 until 1995. During his time in Venice Beach, he was immersed in the visual and verbal history of the LA Cool School. His work began to fuse the light and space movement of southern California with the techniques of Europe’s Old Masters, while also exploring acting for two years with the acclaimed acting teacher, Sandra Seacat. Sandra’s theories of the interior world of the subconscious and how it manifests in the conscious world became a third element that was added to his language of painting.
The human form gave way to sweeping brushstrokes that are an extension of the artist’s physicality, but also serve as a visual bridge between the subconscious and consciousness. His work began to fuse the iconography of Ancient, Classical, Renaissance, Modern and Contemporary cultures, and the relationships among the various times and peoples. The resulting works contain their own language of sign and symbol through patterning and visual depth. They are the embodiment of human emotions while being informed by the unseen worlds of Quantum Physics. Guffogg is a multi-media disciplinarian, working in oil, watercolor, gouache, and pastel on paper, sculpture in marble and glass. His interest in the world of science has also led him to begin working with Augmented Reality and AI, where the audience can see his imagery not only in our 3-dimensional world, but beyond in what Guffogg refers to as the portal into 4th dimension, otherwise known as a Smart phone.
A final element is sound, which plays an important role in Guffogg’s studio practice. Guffogg has what is known as synesthesia – he hears color. Guffogg is currently working with a pianist in Los Angeles to create a visual alphabet of musical chords that correspond to the colors he uses in his paintings. This collaboration will result in a musical score created by the painting.
Anthony Cardella is a dynamic and compelling, active performer who has performed in esteemed concert halls across the United States and Europe and has won regional and national performance competitions in the United States. A Wisconsin native, Anthony moved to Los Angeles in 2019 after completing his undergraduate studies at the Lawrence Conservatory of Music. Since then, he has been performing, teaching, and collaborating in the Los Angeles area while pursuing further studies at the Thornton School of Music.
Anthony is an award-winning performer who has been praised for his virtuosity, exceptionally delicate touch, and colorful playing that connects with his audiences on an emotional level. Anthony is known for assembling programs that showcase the full extent of his technical abilities and vulnerability at the piano in tandem, while actively seeking out music written by living composers to program and showcase in addition to standard Classical repertoire. Anthony’s performing career has recently centered around a combination of abstract art and Classical/Contemporary music, creating interdisciplinary experiences for audiences.
Anthony holds a Bachelor of Music with honors in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Lawrence University and Conservatory of Music, a Master of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, and is a Doctoral candidate at USC, teaching at the collegiate level while also doing research in musicology and pedagogy.
Anthony’s passions in pedagogy include modernized teaching approaches that value many genres of music to adequately prepare students for multifaceted careers and opportunities ahead of them, as well as injury prevention at the piano with specialized work and research done in Taubman Technique and ergonomic piano playing.
Since childhood, Jonah pursued the ideal of the renaissance: competence in many fields, endless curiosity. He began his search for knowledge about origins and destinies as a Physics student at McGill university, and later broadened into humanistic interests, including studies in philosophy and theology and service as a priest for 15 years. Today he resides in Italy and divides his time between scientific research, consulting, and teaching.
Since age seven he has been a computer programmer, and wrote a best-selling book about technology and human relationships, The Scent of Lemons. His data science highlights include creating an algorithm to predict hospital emergency room overflow 24 hours in advance, developing visualization software for complex knowledge graphs, and using Natural Language Processing to map the gods of Ancient Mesopotamia.
Jonah has a longstanding interest in art, and has collaborated with musicians, mosaic artists and painters, and has directed several documentary films and museum exhibits. Currently, he is working on two AI-based art projects, including the land-art Compos[t]ing project with Ingrid Ogenstedt and Ingrid Mayerhofer-Hufnagl, and the translation of a selection of Shane Guffogg’s paintings into music.
RESOURCES | LEARN MORE
Contact: Victoria Chapman, (VC Projects) Producer & Studio Director, Shane Guffogg | Email: victoria@vcprojects.art
Shane Guffogg website: https://www.shaneguffogg.com
Anthony Cardella website: https://www.anthonycardellapiano.com
Jonah Lynch website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonah-lynch/ | https://www.youtube.com/@jonahlynch1659
Scala Contarini del Bovolo website: https://www.gioiellinascostidivenezia.it/en/scala-contarini-del-bovolo/