"Why Patterns" - Richmond Art Center Residency

“Why Patterns?” Music by Terry Riley and Daniel Bernard Roumain: loops and repeating patterns.

As the Richmond Art Center reaches the milestone of its 80th anniversary in 2016 it will be assembling an exhibition looking at some of the artists who have shown in the Art Center over the decades. These artists will have been asked to also invite artists whom they have taught, encouraged, mentored, or simply admired. With these relationships we see certain affinities between artists, a commonality of interest, attitude, mood, agenda, even humor. In regarding these works it becomes possible to discern patterns of palette, shapes and textures, rhythms and tempe, volume and space.

Taking these elements as keys to understanding the foundation and structure of the art or the music, three sessions will focus on three approaches to expression. Finding parallels in art in the exhibition and the music performed, the students will have the opportunity to make art engaging some of the same elements in projects geared to the musical manifestations of these elements.

In our First Session we will look at pattern and repetition, taking note of how a painter like Squeak Carnwath uses shape and strong color together or contrasted with muted colors- to define and order space. In listening to the first concert of the music of Terry Riley, students will be able to extract the compelling strength of repeating pattern. In making a series a paintings, students will individually and also collaboratively with parents. Exploring the idea of repetition of movement as well as music, looping and rhythmic line, punctuated dots and dashes, and collaboratively interwoven patterns, students will see how the patterns emerge and take form.

Initially using paint with a palette limited to primary colors and then expanded to secondary and tertiary, the shifting weight of color will echo the students’ experience of the music.

The Residency by the Del Sol String Quartet, organized in partnership with the Richmond Art Center, has been made possible with support from Chamber Music America through its Residency Endowment Fund.