Listen: The sounds of painting

ANN ARBOR—When parallel paths happen to cross, innovation results. And so it was for two University of Michigan professors, one from art and the other from music, each traveling their own path until they met—a meeting that created a new genre they call a "visual/acoustic collaborative installation."

Nearly five years ago, following the suggestion of Bryan Rogers, dean of U-M’s School of Art & Design, to "go out and have lunch with someone you don’t know to foster interdisciplinary links," Vincent Castagnacci chose Michael Gould as his dining partner. Into the Quarry – #1

Into the Quarry – #2

Into the Quarry – #3

Listen to sound clips (requires audio plugin)

Percussionist Gould and visual artist Castagnacci knew that the combining of art and music was something that has been around for ages. But using the creative techniques and physical movements of the painter as the auditory theme of their collaboration generated something quite new. Adding the integration of digital audio technology and surround sound, this coming together of artist and musician formed a new synergy of art and music.

Recording Castagnacci’s actual act of drawing and painting through close-proximity microphone placement allowed Gould to use digital software to manipulate the results, often stretching the time, lowering the pitch, sweeping a sound byte across an entire gallery and layering more bytes and musical ideas.

"Castagnacci uses a variety of implements to paint," Gould said. "He uses scrapers, snap-lines, electric sanders, rollers and wire brushes, creating an extraordinary and unique sound."

For this project, Castagnacci painted on coated Mylar drumheads. Each completed drumhead, mounted on a 5-ply maple drum shell housing a speaker, acts as a resonator for the playback of the digitally altered "sounds of painting," some of those sounds interpreted by Gould on drums.

"Mike Gould came to my work through the bias of his own means," Castagnacci said. "Visually acute and musically gifted, he heard what he saw and recognized the source as familiar. Sonic attributes may or may not be contained or suggested in the surface look of my painting. These painted drumheads may embody and represent certain sound values. Whatever equivalent value resides in Mike’s music exists in the feeling for my work that his composition has managed to communicate."

The convergence of these paths has produced 24 paintings, each with its own speaker and separate channel of audio information, giving gallery patrons 22 channels of audio surround sound and two subwoofers. "These ‘sounding paintings’ will envelop the viewer/listener and create a truly unique experience and feel," said Gould.

"Into the Quarry: a parallel convergence" by Castagnacci and Gould can be experienced Sept. 10 through Oct. 8 at the Duderstadt Center Gallery at 2281 Bonisteel Boulevard on U-M’s North Campus. An opening reception will be held 7-10 p.m. Sept. 10. The gallery is open noon-6 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 1-5 p.m. Sundays. The gallery is closed on Saturdays. Admission is free.  

U-M School of Art

Vince Castagnacci

U-M School of Music

Michael Gould