BHANG, YOUNGMOON PHOTOGRAPHY

Despite collaborating with excellent musicians, unresolved issues arose from the perception that music and visual works did not merge into a singular experience. Converting the impression of what is seen into what is heard, or vice versa, remains an artist’s or musician’s interpretation of their received impressions.

 

I concluded that for visual art

and music to coalesce within the same work,

they must be “constructed on the same framework.”

​

Thus, colors should consistently translate into certain “tones,” “voicings,” or “scales” within a coherent system. I wanted to express my experiences and perceptions of color through my work, exploring the possibility of multimedia and multisensory art.

​

Messiaen’s descriptions of visualization and color combinations are often more poetic, while Austbø’s interpretations emphasize structure and categorization with a more precise approach.

​

​

 

Messiaen’s First Mode of Limited Transposition

​​

• First Transposition:

  • Messiaen: Silvery, slightly pale blue tones with a reflective or cool sensation, accompanied by violet hues.

  • Austbø: Similar to Messiaen’s description but situated within a cooler tonal range, with more defined contrasts in brightness that bring out the colors more distinctly.

• Second Transposition:

  • Messiaen: Golden tones and orange hues—warm and diffusive in feeling.

  • Austbø: Comparable warm combinations but occasionally introduces amber tones subtly blended with gold, reflecting his own project-specific categorizations.

• Third Transposition:

  • Messiaen: Repeats the colors of the first transposition exactly.

  • Austbø: Generally consistent with Messiaen’s repetition, but subtle differences emerge based on the contextual emphasis within each tonal category. For example, when addressing the silvery, pale blue range, Austbø’s interpretation may highlight slight variations in emphasis.

 

 

While Austbø’s method reflects a structured and categorized approach to color interpretation, Messiaen’s descriptions lean toward symbolic and poetic expression. Messiaen’s flexible and evocative articulation allows for interpretive freedom in visual representation, whereas Austbø provides clearer guidelines, focusing on consistent categorization and reducing ambiguity. Austbø’s framework complements Messiaen’s ideas while refining them for performers and audiences seeking clarity in synesthetic exploration.

​

Through my work, you can see the music and you can hear colors: