Part 2: Popular Music and the Visual Arts today: A Modern Dichotomy?

 

After our initial description of this investigation, which we had in Part 1, here as promised are the Questions and Answers with artist and musician John Bryden.  

Q1. John, I was wondering what problems you have encountered practicing as both a visual/photographic artist, and as a musician in the fledging stages of your creative professions?

Probably understanding what roads to go down in terms of trying to get some attention on the work. Whether studying or making demos from home, its all just about the work itself but then afterwards you’re forced with the question of how you want to be portrayed, where to perform or exhibit, who to approach for advice, whether you want to earn money from the work and whether that could, in turn, effect what it was all about in the first place.

Also knowing when a project is finished and therefore ready to give away to others; is often difficult. How far to take it, and when does it become saturated etc? It can help to get an outside opinion from someone (preferably from someone I respect) on this matter but a lot of the time this just confuses me so I tend to go on instinct; until it’s the best I can do at least…then I ask for help.

Q2. Do you find your artistic pursuits exclusive of each other, or are they totally linked with one another; how would you explain this issue (dichotomy?)?

I think, essentially, they come from the same place or source i.e. the person(s) making it. Music and visual art I suppose appeals to different senses so they can be separate in that way, but obviously there are cross over’s. A gig could be similar to an installation artwork as they are both very often immersive and designed for an experience. If I had to sum it up I’d say that everything is similar and different. I know that’s vague as hell but that’s how I see things. I don’t think there’s a dichotomy as such between visual art and music for example, it’s more of a spectrum of many.

Q3. Do you think that if two pieces of your work (musical and visual) became so intertwined with one another, that there may be a way of displaying them so as to communicate the nature of their conception and duality?

Of course...but I haven’t reached that stage yet. Music videos, film scores, or live visuals are the more obvious platforms for this. British Sea Power did a tour of live shows where the film Man of Arran (1934) was projected above the stage while the band played. Essentially it was a live soundtrack which they reacted to, or interpretation of the film, and what it meant to them musically. What is interesting about this for me is that one medium can grow or evolve out of another. We all feel the same things so it’s just how we express these feelings that matters.

 

British Sea Power’s album cover for Man of Aran 

 

Live footage of the band performing their score to accompany the film.

Still from Man of Aran, this fictional documentary was directed by Robert J. Flaherty  

Q4. Most people I speak to love both visual art and music yet very few practitioners have ever successfully combined the two in any sort of exhibition/performance context, is this something that interests you and do you see it as a possible new expressive artistic form?

Yes maybe in the near future. I know it’s been done many times before but I do like projections over live music performances.

I saw a video of the band, Cats Eyes: Cats-Eyes-Video-Exclusive  recently doing this. It was fantastically moving. It had an ethereal feel which I think is great because anything visual which is too heavily storyline-based can detract from the music. When next to music I prefer videos that look good as opposed to having a beginning, middle and end, or attempting to explain the song.

Powerful Imagery from Cat’s Eyes recent record

Alternatively, I’d be apprehensive about taking anything ‘Machine room-related’ into the gallery environment, fearing it would be too clinical. But if we could make it our own somehow I’d be happy to. I’m open to anything providing it’s done right and by that I mean that everything else on show would have to compliment the music.

Q5. As I have had pointed out to me several times since I wrote the first part of this investigation, there are many artists I did not include in my brief piece outlining this subject, and individuals who would not fit into any of the three categories. Are there any artists who have practiced both art forms, who I did not mention, who have informed/influenced your work?

PJ Harvey’s album cover for her latest album ‘Let England Shake’ is really strong, like a disaster waiting to happen, fitting the Zeitgeist. A powerful image like that will then be associated with the songs, becoming inseparable. That’s the aim.

 

Let England Shake by PJ Harvey and the cover John fittingly refers to as ‘fitting the Zeitgeist’. 

I tend to find more affiliation with those artists/musicians which you have put in your 3^rd area above- ‘are those musicians who use the visual as a secondary part of their musical work’. Artwork is something we’re thinking about at the moment for our next record release.

Q6. Is it important to you to have both your musical and visual vocations, or is there a time when you could envisage only focusing on one of them?

Yes it is important to do both yet I feel more confident making music because I think I can put more of myself into this. I don’t know why this is exactly…it could be because I can do it on my own and I can do what I want. I don’t like doing creative things if I feel like people are paying attention to me. This too is probably why I like making films and images that are more observational, where people don’t know or aren’t too bothered that I’m there.

I tend to find more affiliation with those artists/musicians which you have put in your 3^rd category (see above). It is melody and lyrics together in songs that stick with me the most, so for the moment I’m focusing on music with any imagery feeding off it.

Same mistakes by John Bryden, an award winning work from Edinburgh Stills Gallery Portraits of 2011 award

A short conclusion to this study will be published on Monday the 16th. . . keep your eyes peeled on pipe!  and  of course there will be more posts dropping in over the weekend.

The Savage art of Nancy Spero

Nancy Spero once wrote: "I’ve always sought to express a tension in form and meaning in order to achieve a veracity. I have come to the conclusion that the art world has to join us, women artists, not we join it. When women are in leadership roles and gain rewards and recognition, then perhaps 'we' (women and men) can all work together in art world actions."

As the quote above suggests, Nancy Spero (1926-2009) was a radical American artist and outspoken feminist. In the mid 60’s she went her own way, deciding not to work with oil on canvas, rejecting it as a male medium. Instead she turned to working with materials such as gouache; and using techniques like printmaking on paper and collage. Spero also abandoned the current trends in art, such as Pop Art and the Formalist Abstraction movements in favour of her own ideas.

I recently saw parts of Nancy Speros provocative body of work at the Serpentine Gallery. It really struck me how timeless the exhibition felt even though much of its content was from her early career in the 60s and 70s, and had political and feminist agendas that very much reflected their time. It is however very much thanks to Speros’ use of different media and her genre crossing that the artworks manage to comment on the politics then as well as seeming relevant to todays political climate. At the  same time they feel in-sync with today’s aesthetics and designs.

Artaud painting (1969)

In the seventies Spero began to use only the female figure in her paintings. She explained that, "I decided to view women and men by representing women, not just to reverse conventional history, but to see what it means to view the world through the depiction of women”. Spero’s artworks from this period also carry a sense of timelessness, mainly because of their wide range of ethnological sources. Her images bring us a whole array of ancient histories and mythologies through inspiration drawn from Greek, Egypt, Indian and Pagan myths.

I was really struck by the centre piece of the Serpentine exhibition, a recent work of hers: Maypole Takes its Prisoners II (2008). A very powerful object featuring distorted female faces with mouths wide open as if silently screaming out their pain and anger. Since this artwork filled the whole first room of the exhibition it forced visitors to engage with it both when entering and leaving the show. Even though it could get overly crowed at times; as it did on the Sunday of my visit when a lady managed to physically “engage” a little too much with one of the maypole faces... I don’t feel Spero herself would have minded though, her works were very much made to provoke the viewer.

Detail of Maypole Takes its Prisoners II (2008)

For those of you not familiar with Spero's work, most of her pieces carry strong statements against topics such as anti-male dominance in society and war. She presents powerful arguments for a non-hierarchical society. These statements, more often than not, hit you in the face; even if in a metaphorical, rather than the physical sense. Detail of Azur (2002)

Nancy Spero in her New York studio in 1973. Photograph: Susan Weiley.

Popular Music and the Visual Arts today: A Modern Dichotomy?

 

Popular music musicians’ venturing into other, perceived more serious and longer established areas of the visual arts is not unknown. The long, and well known relationship between the art school student, and the formation of rock ‘n’ roll/indie bands and musicians is somewhat of a tradition in the UK; made famous in the 1960’s by bands like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Who and The Rolling Stones.

Having said this however there has always been much scepticism over musicians who try and practise these two disciplines simultaneously. It’s hard to disagree with these criticisms as they are usually correct. One just has to see a Ronnie Wood (i) or Bob Dylan (ii) exhibition as testimony to this statement. Now I have no issue with any famous artist - musical or otherwise - enjoying a spot of painting or other artistic pursuits. The problem as I see it, arises when the art world is wooed by fame and celebrity and attempts to ‘take seriously’ the work of second rate artists because of their status in the media. The granting of shows at galleries around the world to these musicians (which remember happens at the expense of superior, life long visual artists), is not a major concern, but will always stick in the artist’s ‘craw’ somewhat and is perhaps the single biggest reason for this annoyance over it.

i) Ronnie at work in his studio

ii) A Bob Dylan show at the Danish National Gallery last year

It seems to me that there are perhaps three common areas to this discussion. One is, as was express previously; the established musical artist broadening their artistic scope while still practicing as a successful musician; and this has always proved to be the most problematic. The second modus operandi might be the musician who has some kind of artistic calling, or just bores of the undoubted creative restrictions which exist in popular music, and moves away from their initial occupation in order to fully concentrate on creating visual pieces. This also gives them a perceived better chance of being accepted by the art world. Two notable artists who have followed this example are Don Van Vliet aka Captain Beefheart (iii) and Paul Simonon (iv) formerly of The Clash, who both quit music (in Beefheart’s case sadly never to return) in order to practice their painting. The third category; as I see it, are those musicians who use the visual as a secondary part of their musical work. This has the least problems associated with it as it never really leaves the musical arena; it just helps package the music and gives it a secondary dimension. One of the most famous individuals to use this approach was The Stone Roses John Squire (v) (who has subsequently become part of the last category), whose designs were used as record art works for his music. Morrisey (vi) could be considered as part of this group also, as he designed many of the record sleeves for The Smiths. I concede there may be some grey areas with regards these categorisations but this gives a brief synopsis of the topic.

iii) Don with artwork; Photograph by Anton Corbijn

iv) A Paul Simonon painting 

v) Pollock inspired collage used on the bands self-titled debut album by John Squire 

The question of whether this fractured relationship between the visual arts and pop music can ever be successfully negotiated by an artist is the aim of this investigation. In order to ask some contemporary questions about this subject, and put the focus back on its relevance today, I will use a specific example.

vi) Album design for The Queen is Dead by Morrisey

I feel for the purpose of this task one must look to an artist/musician who is in the fledgling stages of their career. Being new to both creative fields, I feel is the only way that an individual might be able to successfully negotiate some of the poignant issues described in my previous categorisation of this dilemma.

Therefore the subject I have chosen is one John Bryden (vii). I believe he adequately fits this enquiry because of my previous background knowledge of his vocation, as well as my own feelings of solidarity towards this strive for an existing artistic duality, and a possible successful amalgamation of popular music and visual artistic expression; of which John is also trying to accomplish in his own work.

vii) John Bryden

John is the song writer, composer, arranger and overall band leader of new Scottish band The Machine Room (viii)(http://www.myspace.com/themachineroommusic). Based in Edinburgh, his band formed only a year ago and are about to release their debut single Girly (listen here: http://www.tapestudio.com/tape_singles_club.php) which comes out on the 23^rd of May. They are also about to embark on a four date Scottish tour. As well as this, John is a photographic and video artist (and occasional curator) in the honours year of a Photography and Film degree at Edinburgh Napier University. He is a new exhibiting artist, and young, yet accomplished music creator and performer.

viii) The band at work

Artwork and music; an image created by Bryden

I will put several questions to John relating to this case study in an attempt to find out what relationships and problems he thinks exist today between these two contemporary artistic disciplines.

The questions and subsequent answers will be publish on the 7th of May; only at Pipe.