Synesthesia and Kandinsky

1. Rosewater
Cardamom
Ginger
Sugar
Wheat
Gluten
Banana
Butter
Eggs
Allergeries
anyone?

2. Synesthesia!
Wassily Kandinsky Black Strokes I
(1913)
Let’s chat a bit about everyone’s favorite
neurological condition....
Seeing sounds!
Tasting music!
Hearing odors...?
Feeling
colors!

3. TEAR OUT A SHEET OF PAPER
FROM YOUR NOTEBOOK…
WITH YOUR NAME ON IT…
…GET A COOKIE…
…GET READY FOR THREE
BITES!

4. The ability to smell.
0. BEFORE THE BITE
P3:
THINKING ABOUT A LEMON TREE
CHRISTMAS, HOLIDAY SPIRIT, FUN
CARDBOARD
CANDYLAND, CHRISTMAS
WARM TOASTY HOUSE
THE WAY MY GRANDMOTHER’S COUCH TASTES
SMOOTH
OPEN FIELD, GRASSY LANDSCAPE
WARMTH OF A FIRE

5. The ability to smell.
0. BEFORE THE BITEP8:
Kermit the frog sippin on tea
My mom’s cooking
Smells like raisins
Smellin like a NANNER
Smells like animals
I’m hungry
Smells like the holidays
I smell pink
Like I’m surrounded by fresh air
I smell death
It smells like oatmeal
Carrot cake!
It reminds me of times with my family
Smells like christmas
Smells like a Tree Hug
Smells like paradise

6. The ability to taste.
1. FIRST BITE
P3:
JANITORS
PEARLS
FUSION
HOME
COCONUTS
TREES AND BLUE WATER
FRESH MOUNTAIN AIR
BREAKS APART NICELY
HOMEMADE
GINGERBREADMAN
CLEANING PRODUCTS
CLOUDS AND HAPPINESS

7. The ability to taste.
1. FIRST BITE
P8:
It tastes like paradise
It tastes like cleaning supplies
It tastes like my grandmother’s perfume
Tastes like the stars
It tastes like an ocean in my dreams and then it’s on fire
I taste yellow
It tastes warm like a comforting hug
The after taste is like i had febreeze in my mouth.
Banana and ginger
Cinnamon
Crunchy
Stale Swedish pastry
sweet
It’s soft, and relaxing
Wonderful lemon flavor
Strong after taste

8. The ability to see.
2. SECOND BITE
The ability to feel.
P3:
BRIGHT COLORS YELLOW PARALLELOGRAMS
COLORS THAT DART AROUND THE ROOM EVERYWHERE SNOWFLAKES
RUNNING THROUGH A FIELD WITH FLOWERS SCRAPYARD
A WHITE CHRISTMAS TREE OCEAN SUNSET
RUNNING AROUND THE PARK “I FEEL SOFT LIKE A KITTEN”
TRIANGLE RECTANGLE YELLOW, SANDY, DRY
HOLIDAY SPECIFIC
SNOWFLAKE

9. The ability to see.
2. SECOND BITE
The ability to feel.
P8:
I see a beach
I see a candle shop
A field of WHEAT!
A beautiful sunset
I see my grandmother’s house during easter
I see a fireplace
I see peace
I see a clean bathroom
I see people preparing to come together and have fun times
My eyes are burning
I see a field of flowers that are full of life and a sky with a blue that is
so beautiful that you can’t take your eyes off it.

10. 3. THIRD BITE
The ability to
hear.
P3:
I HEAR A SLEIGHRIDE
I HEAR SHARP STABBING NOISES
I HEAR WIND BLOWING, WAVES CRASHING ON THE SHORE AND BIRDS CHIRPING
I HEAR RUGGED LEAVES BLOWING IN THE WIND
I HEAR MY GIRLS—MARIWEATHER POST PAVILLION BY ANIMAL COLLECTIVE
I HEAR WAVES
I HEAR CHRISTMAS MUSIC
IT SOUNDS LIKE CHUCK E CHEESE’S
I HEAR SCREAMING AND HAPPINESS
I HEAR MY JAW CRUSHING COOKIES
I HEAR CRUNCHING NOISES
I HEAR MY JAW MOVING
I HEAR MYSELF CHEWING

11. 3. THIRD BITE
The ability to
hear.P8:
Rocks breaking apart
I hear the marching of feet, like troops walking uniformly
I hear a violin
I hear small lightbulbs bumping each other in the sand
Male playing classical music
Soft vibration of light piano keys
A volcano erupting lava
I hear traffic: cars stuck at a red light honking at each other
Sounds like steps that become fainter by the second
I hear the song “in your arms”
I hear a woman singing a lullaby
I hear children laughing
I hear an opera
I hear crunching
I hear my jaw moving
I hear the cookie being crushed

12. The ability to
hear.
The ability to see.
The ability to taste.
The ability to smell.
The ability to feel.

13. Arnold Schönberg(Schoenberg)
Schönberg created a new type of music using
ATONALITY (music that does not consider key
or mode, disregarding tone) along with other
composers Anton Berg. In fact, this type of music
was so radical, that an audience once rioted
during a performance—unwilling to hear these
atonal sounds that seemed to MAKE NO SENSE
to them.
One of his best known songs, Three Piano Pieces
(1909) was one of the most radical musical
compositions during the time…challening the viewer
to deal with the disharmony of the hour long song.

14. Schönberg & Kandinsky
https://artsy.net/post/ibiayi-seeing-sounds-kandinsky-plus-schoenb
“Music is the ultimate teacher.”
“An artist must train not only their
eye but also their soul.”
KANDINKSY from Concerning the
Spiritual and Art

15. Schönberg & Kandinsky
How is Music connected to Art for you?
https://artsy.net/post/ibiayi-seeing-sounds-kandinsky-plus-schoenb

16. Arnold Schönberg(Schoenberg)
Arnold Shönberg Der Rote Blick (1910)
The Red Gaze
Do you think that Art
needs to be
understood by
everyone?
If it is art, it is not for
all,
and if it is for all, it is
not art.”

17. Sketches based on a concert of
composer Arthur Schoenberg’s
music. Kandinsky later said the
music he heard that evening
changed the way he thought
about art.
Sketches for
Impression II (Concert) (1911)
Kandinsky’s
Path to Abstraction

18. Impression II (Concert) (1911)
“The sound of
colors is so
definite that it
would be hard to
find anyone who
would express
bright yellow with
bass notes or
dark lake with
treble...”
- Wassily
Kandinsky

19. Wassily Kandinsky
Composition VII (1913)
“The more abstract is form, the more clear and
direct its appeal.”