Painting to the beat of Beethoven

An exhibition of abstract paintings by Pascual Tarazona, entitled Images of Sound, is set to open at the University of Johannesburg Art Gallery on 4 March at 6.30pm.

Tarazona’s work was inspired by Beethoven’s final symphonies six to nine, composed when the composer went deaf.

Tarazona deprived himself of sight by blindfolding himself and painting without vision, guided only by the music of Beethoven.

He explained that after reading Beethoven’s biography, he wanted to challenge himself to start a show of works painted while blindfolded.

“In this process, I expressed the notions of music and silence on canvas. Armed only with an iPod filled with the music of Beethoven and having set out blacks, greys and whites in pots, I allowed the music to dictate the movement of my brushes in establishing marks, forms and gestures. I was working simultaneously on various canvases or pieces of paper to allow for continuity of process. I only removed the blindfold to reveal the image once the music ended,” he said.

According to the curator of the UJ Art Gallery Annali Dempsey, this exhibition interprets music into visual language.

“The work is a powerful and moving solo exhibition full of energy and the final outcome is a spectacular body of work that is at once melodic, evocative and deeply moving, fitting in well with his earlier works in the cannon of abstract art and abstract expressionism. The body of more than 25 major works, including a 10m collage by Tarazona, makes for a compelling body of work that will appeal to a broad range of viewers and will rightfully place him at the point of recognition that this 75-year-old artist deserves after his years of dedication to his craft,” she said.

The exhibition is set to stay on display from 5 March to 8 April from 9am to 4pm.

Details: UJ Art Gallery 011 559 2099.