Archive for the ‘Music’ Category

Conversation with Morgan Szymanski

Monday, December 5th, 2011

Sally: What gave you the idea for The Sketches of Mexico ProjectIt’s unusual for musicians to collaborate with visual artists, can you tell me why you have done this?

Morgan Szymanski

Morgan: As a hobby I enjoy sketching, painting and drawing. I initially thought of doing some sketches for the artwork of this CD, but instead I decided to invite friends who are doing well in the Mexican arts scene…a much better option than my amateur sketching abilities!

This project came up as I was jogging in the Peak District, the idea of doing a sketch for each musical piece came up and then the idea of concerts-exhibitions. I also thought of visiting each place represented in the musical pieces and making videos of me playing each piece in it’s inspirational home, but this would require a larger team of people and would be more expensive. The idea is still on the cards. I had to think of a way of using the internet and social networks, to keep costs down. Then friends started recommending artists to me. I was delighted so many agreed to take part.

Although I have never heard of a project quite like this, combining music and visual art has led to some magnificent works. The likes of Kandinsky and Monet come to mind. In music, Debussy and Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” will never cease to amaze me. I must also admit that Miles Davies’s “Sketches of Spain” had something to do with it too.

Sally: You have asked visual artists to respond through their artwork to the imagery that the Mexican music conjures up, now that some of the work has been completed by the artists is it what you expected to see?

Morgan: I initially wanted to give the artists certain limitations in size, or perhaps asking them to stick to one particular piece of music. I eventually decided to give them free-reign and just listen to the music for inspiration. The outcome has been incredible. Today I have over 30 works by artists from the UK, Portugal, Mexico and China. I am still waiting for a few more too! Such a great number of images means we have a tough job in choosing which ones to use, where and how. We will make 20 postcards and will choose some for the CD cover artwork as well as exhibitions, youtube videos, facebook page and live projections during concerts using VJ’s.

Sally: You said you have an interest in making your own art-work, you travel a great deal playing your guitar in many different places, are you tempted to visually record the countries and your experiences? After being in Cyprus this summer I began to use more colour in my paintings, do you feel your music is effected by different environments?

Morgan: I have always enjoyed art whether looking at it or creating my own. I take a sketch book on all my travels. I have some very bad sketches of China, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Macedonia and Zimbabwe but it is merely for my own pleasure.

Music is hugely influenced by traveling. It has the amazing power of gathering people together, regardless of race, age religion or language. I have inevitably absorbed and learned new things from all these experiences.

Sally: You plan to take the music into schools, why your interest in education? Why do you feel it is important to educate British children about Mexico? How do you see the project unfolding?

Morgan: I believe musical education is essential in order to nurture our future musicians and audiences. It is an investment. I have always enjoyed working with children and thought this was a great opportunity. This side of the project focusses on creativity. Creating artworks from listening to music or viceversa. The immediately attractive aspects of Mexican culture are great inspiration for me. The food, the people, the music, the colours, culture and history. Each workshop can include a final show and a performance.

Sally: You told me that your mother is Scottish and your father Mexican, my father was also Scottish, I grew up hearing him singing Scottish ballads encouraging us to join in, did you hear Scottish music when you were growing up and has this influenced your music? You went to Edinburgh University, apart from the weather how does living/studying in Scotland compare to living/studying in Mexico?

Morgan: Both my grandparents on my mothers side were born in Scotland and although not musicians they enjoyed music. My grandfather was always whistling and singing old Scottish tunes. After living in Scotland and studying music there I also ended up playing with lots of scottish musicians and bands. Scottish music has had a strong influence on me. Living and studying there was a completely new experience, having to fend for myself was tough as well as leaving my family and friends, but it was a rewarding and unforgettable experience which changed my life.

Sally: I feel at a loss if I don’t carry my sketch book and pencils with me and feel frustrated if I miss an opportunity to draw, is this how you feel if you are unable to play the guitar? I am painting you from drawings I made of you while you were practicing it is as if when you begin to play, the guitar becomes an extension of your body – as if you become one. This is what I would like to convey in the painting, does that make sense to you or does it sound mad?

Morgan: Not mad at all and very true. Even if I am on holiday I feel strange if I don’t play every day. It is like an addiction, something you grow old with, you live with, a companion, a language, meditation, release. It’s like breathing! It is your voice, you sing and express yourself through it. It is part of you. 

Balada Mexicana

Saturday, December 3rd, 2011

1st December

Mexican classical guitarist, Morgan Szymanski, invited me to Bolivar Hall to hear him, a pianist and a singer in Balada Mexicana. A Celebration of Classical Music.

Morgan Szymanski

Morgan Szymanski 

Morgan has asked me to respond to his music through my artwork for a project he is running: The Sketches of Mexico Project. The above sketch of Morgan playing the captivating and beautiful Mexican music was drawn during the performance.

Bolivar Hall 1  The pianist

Unfortunately the pianist due to play was ill, a marvelous pianist took her place but I didn’t catch his name. Tenor Jesus Leon sang accompanied by Morgan and by the piano.

Morgan Szymanski and Jesus Leon

Morgan Szymanski accompanying Mexican tenor, Jesus Leon

Today I start work on a painting on canvas in oils and acrylic for Morgan Szymanski for The Sketches of Mexico Project.

Still a chance to hear Morgan Szymanski if you live near Sleaford at Sleaford Music Club, 9/12/2011.

Goodbye Featherstonehaughs

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011

26 November

Saturday night at The Riverside Studios. I’m here to watch Edits, choreographed by Lea Anderson for her all-male company the Featherstonehaughs, which she co-founded in 1989, 5 years after co-founding the all-female Cholmondelys. It is the last time the Featherstonehaughs will perform and no one can quite grasp or believe it.

Featherstonehaughs, Edits. copyright Sally McKay 1

Featherstonehaughs, Edits. copyright Sally McKay3

The dance is fascinating and beautiful, I have drawn them rehearsing fragments of the dance but never watched a run. And the costumes… just gorgeous, designed by Oscar winning costume designer and long term collaborator of Lea, Sandy Powell.

Featherstonehaughs, Edits. copyright Sally McKay 2

The 6 Featherstonehaughs took their bows at the end of the show, as the audience clapped and cheered (and quite a few cried) 3 women walked on stage dressed in funerial black lace and began to dance a 1985 Cholmondely dance to Nina Simone’s My Baby Just Cares For Me, there were screams of joy, the co-founders and original dancers of The Cholmondeleys: Lea Anderson, Teresa Barker and Gaynor Coward were dancing together again.

The Cholmondeleys Lea Anderson, Teresa Barker and Gaynor Coward

Goodbye Featherstonehaughs

Hofesh Shechter Company rehearsals

Saturday, October 8th, 2011

I spent 2 productive days in a rehearsal studio in Shoreditch with the Hofesh Shechter Company while they worked on Political Mother: The Choreographer’s Cut for their up coming performances at the Melbourne Festival in Australia.

Political Mother: The Choreographer’s Cut. drawn Sally McKay Political Mother: The Choreographer’s Cut. drawn Sally McKay 

Political Mother: The Choreographer’s Cut. drawn Sally McKay Out of the many drawings, I have selected 3 speedy charcoal drawings on prepared Fabriano paper, drawn during a run on the last afternoon.

Hofesh Shechter Company. Political Mother The Choreographer’s cut  Cut. Sally McKay

I filled 3 sketch books  

This is work in progress towards a painting in oil and acrylics based on this dance, which I hope to complete in time for my Open Studio where my work can be purchased, on November 17th 5.00-9.00 pm, 19th and 20th 11.00-6.00 pm. 

La La La Human Steps. New Work

Thursday, October 6th, 2011

La La La Human Steps are a Montreal based contemporary dance company founded in 1980 by Edourd LockNew Work performed at Sadler’s Wells 28/9 – 1/11 brings together 2 tragic love affairs from operas: Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and Gluck’s Orpheus and Euridice, but the score is changed dramatically by composer Gavin Bryars for piano, viola, cello and saxophone it is played live on stage adding to the passion and energy in the intense choreography.

 La La La Human Steps. New Work. Sally McKay

La La La Human Steps. New Work

My drawings of La La La Human Steps performing “New Work” at Sadler’s Wells

The classically trained dancers move en pointe with incredible, take-your-breath-away speed and precision. The choreography catapults through anger, frustration, tenderness and passion. Two pools of bright light on the floor create restricted space to move in and sharpen the angular body frames of the female dancers dressed in black leotards and footless tights, throwing dramatic shadows of the male dancers in suits and heightening the atmosphere, contributing to the black and white filmic quality.

Above: Two of pages from my sketch book of drawings of La La La Human Steps, drawn during the performance. Print Studio at Second Floor Studios, Woolwich, London SE18 5NR, opens in November. Expect to see La La La Human Steps etchings soon after.

Metamorphosis Performance at The Linbury

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

20th September.

Arthur Pita‘s extraordinary, beautiful and very moving dance based on Kafka’s Metamorphosis is performed at The Linbury this week, ends Saturday

Metamorphosis 11 

Ed Watson dances the insect in Arthur Pita’s Metamorphosis 

Metamorphosis 10 Metamorphosis 9

Laura Day, Nina Goldman, Anton Skrzypiciel, Bettina Carpi, Joe Walkling, Greig Cooke  

Metamorphosis 8

All drawn during the performance in the dark, to see rehearsal drawings drawn in day light, scroll down to 7th and 9th September.

All my work is for sale, if you would like to view these and much more, including paintings, etchings and life-size wire sculpture, all related to dance come to my Open Studio exhibition on November 17th 5.00-9.00 pm, 19th and 20th 11.00-6.00 pm. Or please leave a comment below and I will contact you.

 

Arthur Pita at The Linbury. The Metamorphosis

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011

I am drawing during the rehearsals of Arthur Pita‘s exquisite new dance work commissioned by ROH2. The dance is based on Franz Kafka’s novella The Metamorphosis. Travelling salesman, Gregor Samsa, wakes one morning in his parents’ house to discover he has been transformed into a giant insect.

A few early drawings…

Metamorphosis 14

Metamorphosis, Edward Watson Metamorphosis 15Royal Ballet Principal Dancer, Edward Watson as Gregor

Metamorphosis, Anton Skrzypicie Gregor’s Father, Anton Skrzypiciel 

Metamorphosis, Laura Day Metamorphosis

his sister Grete, Laura Day  and Mother, Nina Goldman

Metamorphosis 16

Joe WalklingBettina Carpi and Greig Cooke complete the strong cast of dancers. Innovative music by Frank Moon.

I have previously drawn Bettina Carpi, when she danced with Candoco (see the life size wire sculpture of Bettina: Amazing You) and Greig Cooke in The Featherstonehaughs, Charles Linehan Company and Yorke Dance Project, wonderful to work with them again.

Performances 19 Sept – 24 Sept, at Linbury Theatre in the Royal Opera House.

Latitude Festival 2011

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

Latitude Festival 2011  The National

            The National

Some of my favourite’s at Latitude recorded through my sketch book or camera.

Ed Sheeran  Dionne Bromfield

Ed Sheeran                                                   

Fella Fela

Tom Kitty  Andrew Smith. Moon Dust

Tommi Kitti. A Trip                        Andrew Smith. Moon Dust

Space race letterbox  Space-Race Letterbox  

Anna Calvi Electric Hotel

 Anna Calvi                                        Electric Hotel 

 

Political Mother: The Choreographer’s Cut

Sunday, July 24th, 2011

I’m at Sadler’s Wells for Hofesh Shechter’s Political Mother: The Choreographers Cut. There’s a party atmosphere, half the stalls seats have been removed and the standing area is filling up, the noise is rising, laughter, chat, hugs. I’m in the dress circle looking down, I recognize some dancers who I worked with recently in the audience: “Hey it’s Sally!” I’m reminded of the Hofesh Shechter Company performance at The Roundhouse of In Your Rooms. I was one of the standers, as anyone who knows me will atest to I am pretty damn short. I stood on tip toe, I shuffled around but could only see the raised up musicians. It was Hofesh who said to me “Go upstairs find a seat you, must see to draw”. I did as I was told and from those drawings created a painting. Here is a small selection of the drawings I made during the performance of Political Mother: The Choreographer’s Cut.

Political Mother choreographer’s cut

Political Mother choreographer’s cut Political Mother choreographer’s cut

 Political Mother choreographer’s cut

Political Mother: The Choreographers Cut 

I love this dance. I drew during early rehearsals in Brighton, I watched a performance in Brighton then at Sadler’s Wells a year ago. Each time I’ve been bowled over by the movement, the powerful music and my emotions which rose up within me and clasped me by the throat. The cast of dancers has grown from to 12 to 16, the incredible band of snare drums, electric guitars and percussion has expanded to include a string section, now numbers 24.

These small drawings will be used along with the others I’ve made as research for a large oil painting, maybe some etchings too.

Fusional Fragments at the Clore Studio

Tuesday, July 19th, 2011

Last week I was invited by choreographer Marc Brew to draw at rehearsals for Fusional Fragments at Greenwich Dance.

Fusional Fragments is a new work by Marc Brew in partnership with Dance East, a collaboration with percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, composer Philip Sheppard and five extraordinary dancers.

ballet class

 ballet class. 2

ballet class.3

Morning ballet class

The day begins with a Ballet class. Sometimes choreographers ask me to take part in the early morning class so that I become a part of the company and am not seen by the dancers as an observer, as Luca Silvestrini did during the rehearsals of Crossroads. I like this not only do I enjoy the  class but it effects the drawings that follow. I was glad Marc didn’t suggest I join this class, it was way beyond my capabilities! The drawings are in charcoal and conte on long sheets of brown packaging paper. 

rehearsal 1. Fusional Fragments  Fusional Fragments 2Fusional Fragments.3  Fusional Fragments.4Rehearsal, Fusional Fragments.

Drawn in charcoal on large sheets of fabriano.

The performance of Fusional Fragments was at the Clore Studio at The Royal Opera House on 14th and 15th July as part of Exposure: Dance Snapshots of New Work. If you saw the performance weren’t you knocked out by it? The dance vocabulary beautifully combines Marc’s background as a classical ballet dancer with his more recent work in contemporary dance, investigating the links and differences in the two styles.