Paula Arciniega’s Pictures at an Exhibition Reimagined turns Mussorgsky’s 1874 musical work back into painting, but its origins are connected to visual art as well. “We can reinvigorate them,” she says of the reciprocal effect. She also enjoys the fact that she’s introduced many, especially young people, to the music via her art. It’s an incredible mapping when I experience it.” “They see the music,” she explains of her buyers. She says her sales are driven by the connection. It’s a marriage of creative arts that seems to be a popular feature of Paula’s work. With Pictures at an Exhibition, she was inspired by Mussorgsky’s own approach to interpreting the paintings he’d seen. This is all just me figuring out.” She doesn’t call herself a realist per se, although there are elements of realism in her pieces. Listening to Baba Yaga, she thought, “You can see it!” Baba Yaga by Paula Arciniega (Image courtesy of the artist)Īs for how she interprets the music in painting, it’s a matter of the feelings she gets from the work. Pictures at an Exhibition, with its added meta paintings-about-music-about-paintings appeal, was always on the list, but she wanted the timing for such a project to be right. “Let’s tackle these big works,” she recalls thinking. Soon after arriving, and wanting to establish herself with a specific theme, she began her Mahler Project, in which she painted pieces inspired by all his symphonies and lieder. In the meantime, she’d moved with her partner from California to Toronto. “All the pieces were inspired by music.”Īs she practised painting, she immersed herself in chamber music, choral music, orchestral work – anything she could find. Early pieces sold well to friends and at exhibitions, and they all had one thing in common. “This feels like something that I’m not responsible for exactly, but I just had to do,” she says. Her then-future husband gifted her with her first canvases and art supplies, and she never looked back. At the same time, she plunged herself into creating both works and a career in painting. She went on to earn that Masters in 2004, and has performed with Toronto City Opera, the Hamilton Philharmonic, and Modesto Opera, among others.
“I loved singing and I loved performing,” she says, but at the same time, something had changed. “It was actually Marc Chagall that took credit for that,” she says.Īs a student working towards a Masters Degree at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, she went to an exhibition of Chagall’s work. Paula’s journey is one from music major to painter - albeit with a musical leaning.
BABA YAGA IMAGES SERIES
Paula’s current project revolves around a series of paintings representing Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky/Ravel, the iconic musical composition we will perform throughout the summer.” Paula Arciniega Her stunning Debussy - La Mer artwork will be featured as the tour artwork, encapsulating the spirit of this year’s Aurora theme. In a statement, the NYO Canada said, “We are thrilled to have Paula as the commissioned artist for our highly anticipated 2023 Aurora Tour. “It brings the most talented youth from everywhere.” She was happy to be working with the NYO Canada. When he heard it was Pictures at an Exhibition, the connection was made.
Paula recounts that during an idle telephone conversation, he happened to ask what she was working on. In November 2022, Sommerville was selected as NYO Canada’s inaugural Artistic Director. “I think he owns five of my pieces,” she says. From a musical connection, he became a fan of her paintings. The connection came about as a result of Paula’s two decades old musical connections with James Sommerville, a musician and conductor of the Hamilton Philharmonic from 2007 to 2015.
Now, the paintings of Toronto artist Paula Arciniega add a visual component to performances of the piece by the National Youth Orchestra of Canada (NYO Canada) on their Aurora summer 2023 tour. Mussorgsky’s iconic Pictures at an Exhibition was originally inspired by paintings. The Catacombs by Paula Arciniega (Image courtesy of the artist)
0 kommentar(er)
