The Influence of Synaesthesia on 20th Century Art and Beyond

The phenomenon of Synaesthesia, the seeing-of sounds or hearing-of-colours has probably always fascinated human beings,but it was not until the late 19th century that it became a serious topic of scientific exploration as well as an inspiration for poets, musicians and visual artists. The dialogue between science and art gave rise to various concepts about the unity of all senses and the possible connection to a higher consciousness. Early Modernist artists, most notably Vassily Kandinsky, aspired to create that unity of the sensual experience and thus to express the spiritual dimension of their art. Later research in neuro-science however, has lead to a de-mystification of Synaesthesia. The question arises weather Synaesthesia is still a relevant inspiration for artists in a time of high multimedia exposure. The exploration of that question is equally interesting for cultural historians, audio-visual artists, film-enthusiasts, neuro-scientists or people who see a clear soprano voice as a rich burgundy red.

Autorentext

Edith Pieperhoff, Artist and Animation Filmmaker,studied Film at the Huston School for Film and Digital Media, NUI Galway and Fine Art at Limerick Institute for Art, Design and Technology. She is currently Artist in Residence at the City Museum in Galway, Ireland

Klappentext

The phenomenon of Synaesthesia, the 'seeing-of sounds' or 'hearing-of-colours' has probably always fascinated human beings,but it was not until the late 19th century that it became a serious topic of scientific exploration as well as an inspiration for poets, musicians and visual artists. The dialogue between science and art gave rise to various concepts about the unity of all senses and the possible connection to a higher consciousness. Early Modernist artists, most notably Vassily Kandinsky, aspired to create that unity of the sensual experience and thus to express the spiritual dimension of their art. Later research in neuro-science however, has lead to a de-mystification of Synaesthesia. The question arises weather Synaesthesia is still a relevant inspiration for artists in a time of high multimedia exposure. The exploration of that question is equally interesting for cultural historians, audio-visual artists, film-enthusiasts, neuro-scientists or people who see a clear soprano voice as a rich burgundy red.