THE SOUNDS OF COLOUR by Claire Greenspan
On exhibition from 7 December 2023 - 31 January 2024
I’ve been fascinated by Wassily Kandinsky’s lifelong quest to explore the link between music, sound, vibration and abstract pictorial imagery. Kandinsky said, “Colour is the keyboard, the eyes are the harmonies, the soul is the piano with many strings.
The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another, to cause vibrations in the soul.
In my latest body of work, I have felt the flow and connection between music being listened to in-studio and the emerging work. At times music has triggered bodily movement that in turn has guided my brushstrokes, and my emotions have been captured in the mix, at an unconscious energetic level.
Colour continues to be a playground for expression and translates as movement, lines, shapes and embodies my emotional expressive language.
Through this process, I’ve realised that shape, form and colour can be both complex, or broken down further into simpler parts.
In the poem, ‘The Word’ from the album, ‘In search of a lost chord’ by the Moody Blues,
“Vibrations reach on up to become light
And then through gamma, out of sight
Between the eyes and ears there lie
The sounds of colour and the light of a sigh
And to hear the sun, what a thing to believe
But it’s all around if we could but
perceive…”
Following a childhood in Pretoria, Claire moved to Cape Town to pursue some formal art training at Michaelis School of Fine Art. Thereafter, she obtained a Degree in Social Work and after working in the field for several years, attended City Varsity completing a 2-year course in Make up for Film, Theatre and Special effects.
She has completed the ASTAR art facilitator training course through Lindy Solomon.
Cecil Skotnes, a family friend, offered invaluable tuition and was a constant source of inspiration.
Claire up until recently, worked part-time as a Social Worker and has also been a Professional Photographer since 2012. Painting has always been a consistent practice, which is now being pursued on a full-time basis.
Claire has participated in both solo and group exhibitions. Her most recent Solo exhibition (March-April 2022), was held at The Yard, Silo District, V&A Waterfront, in memory of her late husband, with whom they raised two amazing children.
She was granted the opportunity to participate in Solo Studios Intimate Encounters (18-20 August 2023), in Riebeek Kasteel, participating in a group exhibition at RK Contemporary Gallery.
Claire continues to sell her work locally and abroad via her Instagram account – clairegreenspan_art.
