If you have not yet walked through the Wexner Center for the Arts current exhibition, 'Transfigurations,' I highly encourage you to take the time to do so. This year marks the 25th anniversary for the Wexner Center, and for the occasion Leslie and Abigail Wexner have loaned the public part of the private collection which includes a few names you might recognize.
The works of Picasso, Degas, Jean Dubuffet, Alberto Giacometti, Willem de Kooning, and Susan Rothenberg grace the halls, and yet there is something missing; the space is nearly silent. In honor of such a prestigious visual collection, here are a few selected works of music:
Edgar Degas and Pablo Picasso
Degas studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. His works focus on private, intimate scenes in everyday life. A famous example of this is his depiction of the ballet rehearsals and performances with close-up views of the musicians and dancers rather than the grandeur of the entire proscenium and stage.
Picasso delved into similarly introspective qualities in his subjects which led to his collaboration with authors and composers such as Jean Cocteau and Erik Satie. Their collection could perhaps best be described with Iberian/Parisian music with elements of dance with the suggestion of intimacy.
- Isaac Albéniz: "Evocación" from Iberia, book 1
- Erik Satie: "Gnossienne, no.1"
- Georges Bizet: "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" from the opera Carmen
Jean Dubuffet and Willem de Kooning
Dubuffet's Faux Naïve style again brings a naturalism to his work, and his "art brut" technique, which employs non-traditional materials on the canvas, is reminiscent of the musique concrète concepts of composers such as Edgard Varese and Olivier Messiaen, as well as the childlike play of some works of Erik Satie. Willem de Kooning worked with Abstract Expressionism which could be compared with the compositions of Schoenberg, Stravinsky or Scriabin.
- Erik Satie: "Gymnopédie, no. 1"
- Olivier Messiaen: "Éclairs sur l'au delà"
- A. Scriabin: "Le Poème de l'Extase, Op. 54"
Alberto Giacometti and Susan Rothenberg
Perhaps the most striking feature of Giacometti's displayed works is their lack of volume. His sculptures are famously lean and waif-like which lends to an erie, ephemeral quality of minimalism even though they are complex creations.
Likewise, American artist, Susan Rothenberg, uses space and dimension in interesting ways in her works. Her famous horse paintings, on display in the gallery, are reminiscent of the ways in which minimalist music can be both subtle and expansive. These works pay homage to the space between and betwixt lines and objects.
- Joep Franssens: "Grace"
- Philip Glass: "The Poet Acts"
Photography and recording of any type are prohibited in the gallery, but feel free to listen to this playlist before and after your visit. For more music fit for any experience tune in to Classical 101 all day, every day.