Bronwyn Calcutt

Over the time of my Master’s study I have made a series of explorations to open creative connections between my concurrent practices of music and painting, researching the ways in which their abstract languages can interpenetrate and influence each other to create new hybrid work.

Specifically, in my major project, I experiment with using the ‘found’ geometric patterns of pianola music code to trigger the creation of pictorial space as imaginary worlds, landscapes and entities. Certain paintings are then read interpretatively as graphic scores in the composition of new soundscapes. Through a series of improvisatory stages I move the work in a cycle from the sonic to the pictorial and back to sonic again. Simultaneous presentation of the companion pieces then aims to foster an enriched and immersive engagement of the viewer with the work.

Working with the by-products of the printing process, I repurposed the stained pianola stencils into the sculptural garment of The Song Cloak to be worn by the persona of Melrose Se Lave in the conducting of the paintings as scores in live performance. The project thus moves between music, visual art and performance, each arising from and woven into the other.