Synesthesia

"Vision"

Carol Steen

oil on paper

15" by 12 3/4"

1996

Well, this is my art blog: "This is Art." I plan to use this space to elaborate on some of the ideas in art which interest me the most, and to make clear what I see as art and how I interpret it.

 

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syn·es·the·sia noun
a concomitant sensation; especially : a subjective sensation or image of a sense (as of color) other than the one (as of sound) being stimulated (Merriam-Webster).

I've decided to write this first post on the phenomenon of synesthesia and the role it plays in certain artworks. Put simply, synesthesia is the "blending" of the senses. A "synesthete," as they are called, is one who may hear visual images, or inherently see color in letters or numbers, as seen here:

Synesthesia has long played a role in influencing many artists' work, whether or not the individual actually experiences the condition. Above, you can see a work titled "Vision" by Carol Steen. Steen is a true synesthete, and she painted this piece after having a synesthetic "vision" during a visit to the acupuncturist. Steen experiences music -> color synthesia, touch -> color synesthesia, and grapheme -> color synesthesia. She utilizes all of these abilities to create her art, which has been featured in over 20 solo and 50 group exhibitions.

However, one does not need to actually experience synesthesia in order to use these concepts in their art. For example, many artists and musicians have experimented with what are called "color organs," which assign a corresponding color for each note on a keyboard to be displayed. Alexander Rimington, a professor of fine arts in London, is one of the many who experimented with this. 

Synesthesia has such interesting implications for artists, psychologists, scientists, and many other fields. It is such a fascinating effect. I hope to return to this topic in future blog posts.

(Source: wikipedia.org)