bert leveille installation - listen to color

listen to color

an installation to experience colour like a sea voyage of colour in the large vault in Woodstock's Old Courthouse Arts Center

installations

Inside the large vault "connecting" - four paintings 10x4 feet each with acrylic paint on canvas LED color changing lighting and video and sound, like an ocean, hoping for the sensation of standing on a ships deck looking at, and listening to a color sea. The video was playing in the vault.

viewing the installation - video component on left

"listen to colour"

This vault installation is perhaps an homage to Rothko. He, too, wanted to create a “space” (the Rothko chapel in Houston and the Rothko gallery at the TATE in London); as did Kandinsky (room-sized mural allowing viewers to experience walking into the painting); and Matisse (The Swimming Pool in Matisse’s dining room at the Hôtel Réginathat). Lke these artists and others now and before me, I intend to create spaces that you can enter; spaces that deliver experiences; that offer meditative environments.

So, why an homage to Rothko? In the last few years I have connected with Rothko and discovered our mutual intense desire to create a contemplative space. Rothko is known for large shapes of colour, and the meditative qualities of his art. In my video, “colour voyage,” I have extrapolated the colour largely from the four paintings in this installation. The intent is to allow one to listen to the colour. What does it say? How does it affect emotions? Thought? Colour relates to everything in and around it. I have borrowed sound from nature (specifically sounds of the ocean) to create white noise (or… the sounds of the spirits of the vault). This assists in filtering out other distractions and encouraging a space for contemplation; a space to listen to colour; to experience colour.

The intent is for this colour voyage to be ever-changing and have the feel of a sea voyage, a virtual voyage, a colour voyage.

The four paintings “connecting” were first seen at Starline. I was connecting to my Mom and others that I miss. I was listening to spirits and the collected conscience. In the midst of political and social challenges and fury, I hope to offer a time-out and a connection to our deeper more universal selves during this “colour voyage”.

This installation was a component of a larger exhibition "LISTEN" presented by E-artgroup. To see more about that exhibition visit: http://www.e-artgroup.com/exhibits_LISTEN.html