Stepping into Red Art Gallery these days is like taking a walk through the soundtrack of our lives.
During the month of March the gallery is home to the show Tower of Song, featuring 25 works inspired by songs.
“We put out the idea to our artists to paint something for the theme that is inspired by music,” said gallery director Bobb Hamilton.
“The whole idea was to leave the artists to interpret it whatever way they wanted. Some of the pieces are very obvious, what they were inspired by – other pieces, once you see the name of the piece and you look at the lyrics, it makes sense.”
The artwork spans the styles of abstracts and landscapes, to still life and figurative pieces, with the inspiration coming from musical tastes ranging from The Who and Otis Redding to Barry Manilow and Tiny Tim.
“What’s interesting is we all sort of associate times in our lives with certain songs,” said Hamilton, adding there has always been a connection between music and visual art.
“Some artists even paint with a lot of music playing. We have one artist that paints with a live musician in her studio.”
The lyrics are posted next to the artwork to help viewers get a feel for the inspiration, and buyers will receive the lyrics along with a “collector bonus” when they pick up their acquisition after the show.
“Art is either supposed to make you think or make you feel,” said Hamilton. “I think with what we’ve put together here, it not only makes you think and feel, but people leave here whistling a tune.”
editor@oakbaynews.com
