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| Mimed Words © Kathryn Dettwiller 2007 Encaustic Monoprint 18 x 24" |
At the Nashville symphony last night I was struck by the similarity of the conductor to an artist. The conductor leads the grouping of players and instruments much like the artist orchestrates a painting.
- He (in this case) chooses the format, a concerto, overture, symphony, etc : the artist chooses and creates the form...the design and structure of the work, selects the subject matter and the materials that best express the intended meaning
- He establishes a general rhythm: the artist sets the flow in the 2-dimensional plane (or 3-dimensional, if the artist sculpts)
- He calls on various instruments to take charge at a particular moment: the artist may allow one element, such as color or line, to take charge on the picture plane (the surface of the art)
- He summons a little bit of this instrument and more of that one: the painter employs the tools of most art... line, color, value, texture, and shape... to create the minor and major areas of the picture
- He can quiet down or emphasize a section of the orchestra: the artist uses a variety of methods to accomplish these actions...tone, placement, color, quality of line (thick, thin, ragged or smooth, etc), horizontal or vertical shapes
- His intent is to leave the listener with an experience: the artist's intent is to leave the viewer with a pictorial experience
