Process is everything.
Every now and then I read or hear something surrounding the creation of a work of art that is beyond inspiring. Subject matter or medium is immaterial; there is just an undeniable and infectious pull in the raw and magnetic enthusiasm laid out in the story of how a work came to be.
At the risk of seeming overly dramatic, I dare you to listen to this just-shy-of-12-minutes interview between Terry Gross of Fresh Air and Ray Manzarek, keyboardist for The Doors, without getting swept away by Manzarek’s passionate description of the collaborative development and arrangement of The Doors’ iconic song “Light My Fire“. You’ll never hear it again in the same way.
Here’s a teaser: John Coltrane, Johann Sebastian Bach, and the rhythms of Latin music were integrally involved. Wow! There’s nothing else to be said but enjoy!
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For the new piece begun this week, I thought it might be interesting to first under-dye the silk before beginning the mokume process
Next the threads were drawn up and deeper colors were added as usual.
The results after removing the threads. We’ll see how things work once the stitching begins.
I think the thing I find most impressive in the Manzarak interview is his ability to move effortlessly among pop, rock, jazz, and classical genres, and to stitch them together so seamlessly, to hear and recognize the similarities in a chord progression, to know when to place things in synchrony and when to put them in opposition. It’s a stunning display of musicianship! And not unlike what any masterful artist, in any genre or medium, does in the midst of creation.
Well said, India; I totally agree!