Gallery Visit | National Gallery

'Coastal Scene' by Théo van Rysselberghe

The exhibition Soundscapes at the National Gallery is where contemporary musicians and producers create a sound piece inspired by a painting from the galleries collection. It was interesting to see how sound was used as a medium in visual art, with my favourite piece by Jamie xx. His composition was inspired by Théo van Rysselberghe’s ‘Coastal Scene’. The dabbling spots and painting techniques were represented by soft and short sounds. The music would intensify in certain areas of the room. If you were close to the painting, you could hear the details and layovers of the music, but the further away you moved, the more unified the sounds were, as if it mirrored the painting. I really like how he explored the use of sound to create an overall atmosphere. I’ve done many exercises, where I draw from music, but this response is the opposite, making me think about how i could change my approach of simple tasks, and therefor creating new and wonderful results.