NSU Gallery Hosts Exhibition Exploring Graphic Notation and Its Artistic Connections

 A joint research project explores graphic notation, blending music and fiber arts in unique ways.

On March 10-14, Gallery 2 of the Orville Hanchey Art Gallery at Northwestern State University will display a joint research project between Dear School of Creative and Performing Art faculty Instructor of Music David Steele and Adjunct Professor of Fine Art Josie Rodriguez. The public is invited to attend f closing reception, which will be held on March 14 from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.

The show, "A New Understanding of Graphic Notation: Dimensions of Physicality and Sound," was created with the assistance of assistant drawing instructor Caroline Shepherd, who also helped arrange the Northwestern Clarinet Studio's musical selections. According to Steele, the visual system was a new approach to creating sheet music for musicians in the early 1900s.

According to Steele, graphic scores developed into a cooperative tool for musicians and visual artists for the rest of the 20th century. He noted that their joint research, involving both a musician and a fiber artist, has provided a unique opportunity to extend the use of graphic scores from music into the realm of structuralism. This has led to the creation of an aesthetic medium that connects the worlds of music and fiber arts.

Rodriguez affirms that while the music staff serves as the foundation for traditional musical representation, the weaving draft plays a similar role in creating woven art. He explains that "structuralism involves breaking down the music staff and weaving draft into their most fundamental elements." From this analysis, the researchers identified the following equivalencies: the treble line, bass line, and grand staff as the basic components of musical notation, and the threading line, treadling line, and tie-up as the essential components of a weaving draft. Since a weaving draft allows for the use of one thread at a time, the threading technique in weaving naturally aligns with a melody line, based on these equivalencies.